The latest surge of drugs impacting teens is a matter of serious concern. While drug abuse has always been a problem, some of the newer ones are scary in the ways they are presented inconspicuously and innocently. This is why some law enforcement officials are teaming up with schools to warn parents of the latest teen drug trends as a part of their preventative efforts.

These troubling new trends include prescription drugs, fentanyl, and heroin. Additionally, there’s the risk of having entire generations addicted to nicotine.

Federal, state, and local authorities want parents to be aware of all these so that they know the signs and act right away. Since drug use in schools is a problem as well, working in conjunction with school authorities will help them in this endeavor.

While e-cigarette devices like JUUL are marketed as a device that can help adults quit smoking, in reality, they are getting more and more teens hooked onto them.

The chief of the Food and Drug Administration has called increased e-cigarette use by teens an epidemic. The long-term effects of vaping may be harmful when consumed by teens and young adults with underdeveloped lungs.

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, around 4.9 million American teenagers are known to be current users of some type of tobacco product. That number is 1.3 million more than in 2017.

This is because e-cigarettes have witnessed a meteoric rise in popularity among high school and middle school students in America, surpassing all other forms of tobacco use. Traditional cigarette smoking has declined, but the use of tobacco has remained and increased via e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookahs. In order to curb this alarming trend, the FDA has proposed tightening the regulations regarding vaping products.

Meanwhile, JAMA Psychiatry recently published a paper that highlights the increasing risk of teen dependency on cannabis. According to this research, cannabis smoking as a teenager is a cause of mental illness and depression in teens and adults.

The study looked at the long-term effects of cannabis among young people, and the results are staggering. It shows that if teens avoided marijuana, one in every 14 cases of depression in adults under 35 could be averted.

Smoking cannabis before 18 may lead to a 350 percent increased risk of attempting suicide. The widespread use of cannabis among young generations has naturally made this a significant public health issue.

The increasing risk of drug dependency and these alarming trends have authorities worried. That is why officers are urging parents to look for signs for drug and alcohol use and abuse as a part of their preventative efforts.

Seemingly innocuous items in a teen’s room could hide these deadly drugs. Parents may think they know the best, but they cannot help when they are unaware of the telltale signs or the "red flags" that can signal drug or alcohol use. They need to be educated about these drugs, and that is why we have schools and community centers that are teaming up to teach them of the same.