Inspirations for Youth and Families (IYF) conducted an investigative report about the link between social media and teen drug abuse. We spoke with Gabriel and Alexis, who are teens at our addiction treatment center about their experiences on this subject. And we also had the rare opportunity to talk to Efrat Cohen a leading Private Investigator (PI) and executive director of Global Intelligence Consultants about the hidden dangers between social media and teen drug abuse. Efrat has been a guest speaker at IYF on several occasions talking about the Internet and the threats it poses to teens.

1. How Social Media Influences Teen
Drug Abuse

2. Social Media Teen Usage Age
Breakdown
Teens 15 -17 Teens 13-14

3. Teens – Mobile Devices – Tablets –
Social Media
The number of Teens who hop on the their cell phones for
something online each day has jumped to 94%

4. Teen Internet and Social Media
Usage
Internet & American Life Project, the Pew Research Center

5. Parents are in the Dark about the
dangers of Social Media
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse

6. Teen are exposed to Drugs at an early
age from Social Media
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse’s study

7. Early Drug Abuse increases chances of Adult
Drug Addiction
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse’s study

8. The Vicious Cycle
Early Social Media Use Promotes early drug abuse
Leading to long-term
substance abuse

9. Cyber-Bullying – What’s the Connection
Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse

10. Teens Cyber-Bullied from Social Media more
likely to abuse Drugs
Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
Social media and cyber bullying in particular can
make your teen more susceptible to smoking,
drinking and using illegal and/or prescription drugs.

11. Impact of Social Media
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse

12. Social Media and Teen
Alcohol Abuse
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse’s study
Teens who are exposed to these types of images are
three times more likely to consume alcohol

13. Social Media and Teen
Marijuana Abuse
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse’s study
Teens who are exposed to these types of images
are three times more likely to consume alcohol
Teens are four times
more likely to use
marijuana if they have
been exposed to the
drug through Social
Media

14. Social Media and Teen
Prescription Drug Abuse
Teens who are exposed to these types of images
are three times more likely to consume alcohol
Teens are able to access mind-altering
substances, including prescription drugs, more
readily than teens who don’t use social media

15. 2,000 Teens who use Social Media on a daily
basis were surveyed in a Columbia University
Study reported by Web MD
Teens who are exposed to these types of images
are three times more likely to consume alcohol
5 times more likely
3 times more likely
2 times more
likely

16. Teens seeing Teens using
Drugs on Social Media
The CASA Columbia survey
75% of teens between 12 -17 years old admitted
that seeing photos of teens using drugs on social
media encouraged them to do the same.

17. Social Media legitimizes Teen
Drug Abuse
Many teens claim that seeing pictures on
social media depicting their friends and
schoolmates using drugs motivate them to
engage in the same or similar behaviors.

18. Only one out of every 25 Americans who
starts using an addictive substance after the
age of 21 becomes addicted.
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse’s study

19. Teens using Snap Chat to deal or
buy drugs

20. So what’s the problem
You don’t really know who you are messaging
Could be an undercover cop on the other end
No problem right. Snap Chat disappears
Have you heard of Screen Captures?

21. Drug Images can haunt you
the rest of your life

22. Teens watch celebrities do drugs on
Social Media and think it is okay
Whiz Khalif on Instagram smoking
weed from a bong

23. Tumblr – The Forgotten Drug
Infested Social Media Web Site
Medical Marijuana
companies have
place to promote
Teen glorifying marijuana
use on Tumbler

24. Marijuana Companies resort to
Social Media to Advertise
Tumbler profile
leads to
ecommerce sites
Twitter also sells marijuana like any
other commodity

25. Adult Social Media Sites are easy for
Underage teens to make a Profile
All you need is to type in 18 years-old
to make a Tumblr profile

26. Teens use Twitter and snapchat to invite
Friends to Drug Alcohol Parties

27. And Then This Happens

28. Teens have Fake Social Media Accounts to
hide Drug use
Real

29. Parents should be suspicious when Teens
block them from their Social Media Profiles