to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Drug Info
    • Paraphernalia
  • Drugs & Your Family
    • Accidental Exposure: Drugs and Young Children
    • Medications in Your Home
    • Signs of Drug Use
    • Social Media: Understanding a Teen's World
    • Talking to Your Child When You Suspect Drug Use
    • True Stories
    • Using Over-the-Counter Medication Safely
    • What You Should Know About Marijuana Concentrates/ Honey Butane Oil
    • What’s Happening in Your Child’s School
    • Why do Teens Use Drugs?
  • News & Media
    • Latest News
    • Emerging Drug Trends
    • Tracking Drug Use and Other Drug-Related Statistics
  • Consequences
    • Drugged Driving—What You Should Know
    • How Do Drug Overdoses Happen?
    • How Drugs Alter Brain Development and Affect Teens
    • School Failure
    • State and Federal Drug Laws
    • Treatment and Recovery
    • True Stories
    • VIDEO: Taking Prescription Drugs to Get High—A Bad Idea
  • Get Involved
    • DEA Museum
    • DEA Red Ribbon Week Patch Program
    • Get Involved in a Community Anti-Drug Coalition
    • National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
    • National Recovery Month 2021
    • Operation Prevention
    • Red Ribbon Week is Oct. 23-31
    • Upcoming DEA 360 Events
  • Search
  • Menu
Home
  • English
  • Spanish
  • DEA Publications
  • Get Updates
  • Find Help
  • Menu

Main Menu

  • Drug Info
  • Drugs & Your Family
  • News & Media
  • Consequences
  • Get Involved
  • Search
  • Menu

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News & Media
  3. Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Increases Risk of Higher Teen Drug Use

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Increases Risk of Higher Teen Drug Use

Last Updated: Wednesday July 28, 2021


Young people who were exposed to crack cocaine while they were in the womb are more likely to use tobacco and marijuana by age 15, according to research from Case Western Reserve University.
 In addition, they are twice as likely to develop a substance use disorder at 17 years old than their peers who were not exposed to crack while in the womb.
 “When a child is exposed to cocaine in utero, they are more likely use substances more often and at earlier ages while having trouble controlling their behaviors and emotions, making them more susceptible to addiction themselves,” said Sonia Minnes, an associate professor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve.
 As lead researcher of Project Newborn, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study that began in 1994, Minnes and her colleagues have followed the babies with prenatal cocaine-exposure from birth into emerging adulthood. Despite their higher rates of drug use, Minnes says they children are “doing better than expected as they enter adulthood.”
 “You want to prevent the next generation from using drugs while pregnant, and this is powerful data that helps make this case,” Minnes said. “This project helps us better understand the many factors and pitfalls facing children whose mothers used drugs.” Read more.
  

Featured Articles
Marijuana and lungs
Lung Cancer Diagnosis Comes 2.8 Years Sooner for Smokers of Both Tobacco and Marijuana
Beware illicit fentanyl
Illicit Fentanyl PSA
Woman uses a phone
Suicide Prevention Lifeline Transitions to 988
Wyatt Williamson
Wyatt's Story

Footer

  • About this site
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
  • Useful links
    • DEA Publications
    • Drugs & Paraphernalia
    • Find Help
    • Just Think Twice
    • Campus Drug Prevention
  • About DEA
    • Accessibility
    • DEA: Who We Are
    • FOIA
    • U.S. Department of Justice
    • U.S. Department of Justice EEO Policy
    • Legal Policies and Disclaimers
    • USA.gov
Home
This is a United States Government, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website. The inclusion of a link on this website does not constitute an official endorsement, guarantee, or approval by DEA.