How do you know if you have a problem?
There are signs...

If you think that you or a friend might have a problem, remember that admitting it is the first step to dealing with it, and there are a lot of people who will gladly lend their help. Learn what help is available.

Problem signals:

• You feel you need to get high before school, or while you are at school.
• You find your favourite activities are suddenly boring unless you're high.
• You choose activities based on whether or not you'll be able to get high.
• You stop doing activities that don't allow for you to drink or do drugs.
• You choose new friends, and snub old ones, based on whether or not they like to get high with you.
• You find it takes more and more drugs or alcohol to actually get high.
• You notice you're spending a lot more money than before on drugs and alcohol.
• You start drinking or doing drugs just to deal with your problems.
• You have trouble remembering things.
• You feel sad, angry or anxious when you are not high.
• You drink and/or get high by yourself.
• You like to get high first thing in the morning.
• You find that you have to choose between getting high and taking care of basic duties at home, work or school.
• You argue and fight with people you care about - more than before.
• You always want to get high.
• You drive when you're high.
• You find you're not as alert or "on the ball" as usual.
• You find yourself taking serious risks, just to get high - like going to dangerous areas where drug dealers hang out.
• You start trying new types of drugs in search of a more intense high.
• You start mixing drugs with alcohol, again in search of a more intense high.

Naturally, just because one or two of these symptoms happen to apply to you, doesn't mean that it's time to check yourself in, but if lots of them apply, it may be time for you to recognize that you may have a problem. Remember, problems with substance use may creep up on you and it's so much easier to deal with problems early on. The longer you wait, the harder it is because your brain and body take over and the cravings can be extremely difficult to deal with.

Talking helps... big time!

Hey, it's a tough world out there, with all of the peer pressure, everyday life challenges and mixed media messages and that's why talking helps. Everyone has a different take on things and while you may know a lot about one thing, someone else knows about something else that might even be related to your situation. Friends, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, teachers, guidance counsellors - and especially parents - are excellent to talk to, even if you don't agree with everything they say. They might surprise you because, after all, they were once your age too and you probably have way more in common than you think. Give it a try!

Long-term consequences: if you don't deal with things early enough

Not all drug and alcohol-related problems are obvious. Some develop over time, below the radar, but as you'll see in this list, they can be extremely serious. The best way to prevent this from happening to you is to catch the signs early, and deal with things while it's still relatively easy to do so.

• Just like cigarettes, marijuana smoke is full of tar and chemicals (more than 400 kinds) and there's no question that this can't be good for our lungs, throat and esophagus. One particular cancer-causing agent called "Benzo (alpha) Pyrene" can be even more concentrated in marijuana smoke than it is in tobacco smoke.
• Many substances - alcohol in particular - can lower inhibitions and cloud your judgement. This means you might do things you would otherwise not do, because of the effects of the drugs on your brain. And it can be scary, in addition to being embarrassing. You might engage in risky sex (which can lead to unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases) or you might even take additional drugs that you normally wouldn't go near.
• Regular and long-term use of alcohol and marijuana interferes with your ability to concentrate, and it makes it harder to learn new things and remember what you already know - and the likely consequence would be poor performance at school and work.
• Marijuana use can trigger psychotic episodes in people that have a high risk for schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder where a person has trouble determining reality, and experiences illogical thinking patterns, delusions and hallucinations. The risk is more likely for people with families that have a history of the disorder.
• Loss of self-control is a fairly common result of problematic substance use in general. When people are drunk or high, they can do things way out of the ordinary so this is certainly something worth thinking about.
• Chronic use of alcohol, for example, can result in serious health problems including nervous system diseases, psychological disorders like anxiety and depression, cancer of the mouth, tongue, esophagus, stomach, and liver - just to name a few.

What increases or decreases your risk of developing problems?

Research has identified certain life factors that influence a person's likelihood of developing a substance abuse problem. These factors involve friends, family and activities - and where you live - so if you want to avoid or change risky situations, or deal with an existing problem, the factors below will help you understand what might be influencing you.

Factors associated with an increased risk

Individual Factors

• Ease of access to alcohol, cigarettes and other substances.
• Age of first use of alcohol, tobacco and other substances (starting before age 14 tends to result in bigger problems later).

Peer Factors (people your age)

• Peer risk-taking behaviour.
• Peer influence on your decision making.

Family Factors

• Family history of substance abuse.
• Family smoking behaviour.
• Parental approval of substance use.
• Family conflict.

School Factors

• Not involved with school activities.
• Poor grades.
• Early signs of leaving school (like cutting classes).

Community Factors

• Neighbourhood disorganization (litter, older buildings, few facilities or services).
• Few pro-social activities (like community social activities).

Factors associated with a decreased risk

Individual Factors

• Participation in pro-social activities (like sports and recreation).

Family Factors

• Bonding (support from parents/caregivers).
• Family harmony (getting along with parents, bothers and sisters).
• Parental monitoring (like curfews).

School Factors

• Connection with school (being involved in school activities).
• Good grades.

Community Factors

• Positive adults in the neighbourhood (strong local leaders).
• Many pro-social activities (like teen drop in centres, sports facilities).

It's never too late to get help

Research shows that if a young person starts using a substance at an early age - like around 14 - he or she is more likely to develop problems with substance abuse in the future. But this doesn't mean you have to start at an early age for it to become a problem; it's just an additional warning sign of an increased-risk.

Remember, there's a ton of available help - even if you just have questions - and getting help almost always works, no matter how serious your situation might be.