How Can the U.S. Combat Adolescent Substance Accessibility?

Artwork by Chelsea Aguilar, a CSUCI student.

Written by Kendall Meinhardt, a student at Chaminade College Preparatory School.

For many adolescents in the U.S., social media has become a breeding ground for an expanding drug market tailored towards youth. Cristiano Lima-Strong, a tech policy reporter, asserts that, “buying illicit substances online [is] nearly as convenient as using one’s phone to order a pizza or call an Uber” (Lima-Strong). Although drug usage is decreasing, drug potency has surged. Jessica B. Calihan, an adolescent and addiction medicine physician, and her peers reveal that, “drug overdose is the third leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States” (Calihan, et al. 1305). The rise in adolescent drug overdose deaths linked to social media requires modifying regulations and educational systems to protect youth.

Social media currently implements regulations and educational programs to protect adolescents from the online drug markets, however, recent studies have proven these programs inefficient. Though companies have applied technological advancements including AI detectors to prevent drug-related content, Mattha Busby, a Ferriss-UC Berkeley Fellow in Psychedelic Journalism, disputes that, “a 15-year-old was able to locate an account selling Xanax tablets in mere seconds on Instagram” (Busby). Despite ongoing safety software developments, dealers continue to evade detection. Researchers André Belchior Gomes, a PhD in Computer Engineering, and Aysel Sultan, a Senior Lecturer in biomedicine and health, further this critique, attesting how algorithms equate substance-related content to harm reduction content and remove it (Gomes and Sultan 2). However, their technical perspective overlooks social factors associated with content removal. Withdrawals of educational content deprive youth access to information, undermining regulations. Moreover, drug prevention interventions are outdated. Zara Abrams, a writer for the American Psychological Association, quotes Susan Ennett, Vice Chair for Academic Affairs for the Department of Health Behavior, and her peers, revealing “kids who completed D.A.R.E. were more likely than their peers to take drugs” (Abrams qtd. in Ennett, S. T. et al. 48). Since current regulations and education programs are ineffective, revisions are required.

Many argue that current social media policies, which heavily rely on AI, are futile in preventing the spread of substance-use related posts. Carmen C.W. Lim, a researcher for the National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, and her peers, propose that companies strengthen their age verification systems through official ID’s, streamline the drug-content reporting process, and further train systems to detect and remove content related to the sale of substances (Lim, et al. 3). However, Lim’s research is based in Australia which may impact its applicability to the U.S. Increasing security and fostering a supportive environment where people can report prohibited content creates efficiency and ensures that substance-related content is less accessible to youth. This is corroborated by Lima-Strong, who refers to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who encourages companies to partner with law enforcement, submit to independent third party oversight of their moderation efforts, and collaborate across platforms (Lima-Strong qtd. in Weiser). Unfortunately, Gomes and Sultan argue that developing these guidelines will be costly (Gomes and Sultan 3), highlighting how economic factors barricade the feasibility of enforcing regulations. Furthermore, harm-reduction content on social media will be impacted as advocacy for drug policy reform requires addressing drug-related topics, which detectors can misinterpret as promotional, thus violating platform policies (Gomes and Sultan 3). Accordingly, drug markets will accelerate and more buyers will emerge without harm-reduction content. Busby similarly warns that increased enforcement pushes dealers to migrate elsewhere, where they are replaced by other dealers (Busby). These conflicting perspectives reveal that regulation alone is not enough to prevent adolescents from obtaining substances. Economic constraints, the removal of harm-reduction content, and online migration of drug activity obstruct the effectiveness of current policies. Instead, policies must balance restrictions with cultivating an environment that prioritizes education.

Enhancing drug intervention education is crucial to combating adolescents seeking substances through social media. Additionally, expanding adolescent access to naloxone, an opioid overdose medication that blocks opioid receptors in the nervous system, is a vital component. The approved use of naloxone for over-the-counter sale in 2023 has decreased opioid overdose mortality. Calihan and her peers suggest implementing “overdose education with naloxone distribution… that reduces opioid overdose deaths in adults [is]... one way to improve youth naloxone access” (Calihan, et al. 1305). Implementing overdose education and providing adolescents with a life-saving device may reduce their desire to purchase drugs through social media. Similarly, Abrams suggests using Stanford University’s (REACH) Lab which has developed free, evidence-based programs through community-based participatory research (Abrams 48). Access to free educational programs extend community reach and help prevent adolescents from purchasing illegal substances through increased understanding of substance-use dangers. Correspondingly, Abrams proposes utilizing Lindsay R. Mereditha, a postdoctoral fellow, and her peers’ ideas for a harm reduction “Just Say Know” program where 94% of students reported that it provided helpful information and 92% reported it may influence their approach to substance use (Abrams qtd. in Meredith, L. R., et al. 48). Approaches that emphasize education over fear supply adolescents with the knowledge to make healthier choices, reducing their likelihood to scour social media for drugs.

Coinciding with intervention initiatives, numerous new laws have been passed to resolve this issue. The School Access to Naloxone Act of 2023 “incentivize[s] schools to maintain opioid overdose reversal agents” (Calihan, et al., 1306). This initiative aims to reduce overdose deaths and raise awareness. Additionally, according to CBS News, a national news channel, the Senate introduced the Kids Online Safety Act in 2023 to protect adolescents from perilous online content, as well as a bill requiring “social media companies to report illicit fentanyl, methamphetamine and fake pill activity… to law enforcement” (“Social Media Fuels”). These regulations reveal that lawmakers understand current regulations are inadequate, requiring stronger laws. The effectiveness of these regulations will be evaluated over time, as the intersection between social media and adolescent substance use requires a balanced approach between prevention and education. Stronger online regulations, effective education programs, and harm reduction resources are essential to protect youth from drug access through social media. By prioritizing awareness and prevention, lawmakers can create a safer online environment for adolescents to make healthier choices regarding substance use.

Works Cited

• Abrams, Zara. “More Teens than Ever Are Overdosing. Psychologists Are Leading New Approaches to Combat Youth Substance Misuse.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, 1 Mar. 2024.

  
  

• Busby, Mattha. “Drug Dealers Have Moved on to Social Media.” Wired, Conde Nast, 17 Dec. 2024, www.wired.com/story/drug-dealers-have-moved-onto-social-media/.

• Calihan, Jessica B., et al. “The Call for a School-Based Approach to Opioid Overdose Prevention.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 114, no. 12, Dec. 2024, pp. 1305–08. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307849.

• Gomes, André Belchior, and Aysel Sultan. “Problematizing content moderation by social media platforms and its impact on digital harm reduction.” Harm Reduction Journal, vol. 21,1 194. 9 Nov. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-024-01104-9

• Lim, Carmen C. W., et al. “The Underbelly of E-Cigarette Advertising: Regulating Online Markets on Social Media Platforms.” Harm Reduction Journal, vol. 21, no. 1, May 2024, pp. 1–4. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-024-01027-5.

• “Social Media Fuels Fentanyl Crisis as Drug Dealers Take to Platforms to Connect with Minors.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 12 Sept. 2024, www.cbsnews.com/news/instagram-tiktok-meta-social-media-fentanyl-drugs-minors/.

• Lima-Strong, Cristiano. “Report: Buying Drugs on Social Media Nearly as Easy as Calling an Uber - the Washington Post.” The Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2023, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/08/report-buying-drugs-social-media-nearly-easy-calling-an-uber/.