Warning Signs of Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse*
• Change in friends or associates
• Change in personality
• Hanging out with older crowd
• Increase in accidents
• Decrease in school attendance, grades, performance
• Withdrawn from family
• Loss of interest in usual hobbies or activities
• Alcohol or drug paraphernalia
• Missing curfew or sneaking around
• Increased use of gum, mints or mouthwash
• Increased use of eye drops
• Alcohol or drug odor in room or on clothing
• Drunk, dizzy or dazed behavior
• Presence of household aerosol products
• Slurred speech
• Mood changes; flared temper; irritability
• Lying
• Stealing
• Having a feeling that something is wrong with your child, but you
don't know what it is.
* Please note these signs could be, but aren’t indicative of all
teen alcohol or drug use, and could also be warning signs of other
teen problems, such as depression.
