What Works (and What Definitely Doesn’t) When Guiding Teens:
Why “Just Say No” Never Worked (And Never Will)
Adolescent substance use is like a game of whack-a-mole—just when society thinks it’s conquered one vice (tobacco, anyone?), another pops up stronger, trendier, and somehow mango-flavored. First, it was sneaking beers from dad’s garage fridge, then it was vape clouds thick enough to set off the smoke alarm, and now? TikTok is convincing kids that drinking nutmeg tea will get them high. Spoiler: it won’t. But it will make them vomit, which feels like a pretty good metaphor for the state of substance education today. Instead of just wagging fingers and gasping dramatically, maybe it’s time we rethink how we talk about this whole adolescent substance use thing.
We don’t want adolescents consuming excessive cannabis, alcohol, or social media. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that scaring them into abstinence doesn’t work.
❌ The “Just Say No” campaign? A failure.
❌ D.A.R.E? More of a meme than a real deterrent.
❌ Moral panic about social media? Kids are still scrolling at 2 AM.
Teenagers aren’t stupid. They see right through fear tactics, exaggerated consequences, and hypocritical adults sipping wine while lecturing about the dangers of cannabis. They live in a world where substances are easy to access, mental health struggles are skyrocketing, and stress is an everyday reality.
If we actually want to help, we need real solutions—not more finger-wagging.
The Data We Need to Pay Attention To
A recent study (internet survey) on cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) (yes, cannabis-induced vomiting—fun, right?) revealed some hard truths:
🔹 82.2% of CHS patients used cannabis at least 3x daily before symptoms began.
🔹 41.5% used cannabis 6+ times daily.
🔹 84.9% had at least one ER visit due to CHS; nearly half required hospitalization.
🔹 Teens who started using daily before 18 had a 64% higher chance of landing in the ER.
Think about that for a second: hospitalization, vomiting, and pain bad enough to drive people to the ER—because of weed.
And yet, when we talk about adolescent substance use, we tend to focus on moral arguments rather than real, evidence-based risks.
So, what should we be telling teens? And more importantly—why are they using these substances in the first place?
Why Teens Use (and Why It’s Not Just About Rebellion)
It’s easy to assume teens use cannabis, alcohol, or social media because of peer pressure or bad decision-making. But the reality is far more complex.
1. Coping with Anxiety and Stress
Adolescence is a mental health crisis zone. Depression, anxiety, and stress are at all-time highs, and cannabis, alcohol, and digital escape routes provide relief. When there’s no easy access to therapy or mental health resources, they self-medicate.
2. Curiosity and Experimentation
Teen brains are wired for novelty and risk-taking. Telling them “don’t do it” often has the opposite effect—forbidden fruit is the juiciest.
3. The “Everyone Else Is Doing It” Effect
Normalization plays a huge role. If social media glamorizes drinking, vaping, or cannabis use, teens who might have never been interested suddenly want to try.
4. Escape from Boredom
When teens lack structure, purpose, or engaging hobbies, risky behaviors fill the void.
So, if we truly want to curb harmful adolescent substance use, the question isn’t just how do we stop them? but rather how do we give them better alternatives?
What Actually Works (And What Definitely Doesn’t)
🚫 What Doesn’t Work:
❌ Demonizing Substances.
Scaring kids with extreme worst-case scenarios (or flat-out misinformation) backfires. They either won’t believe you, or they’ll assume you’re exaggerating everything.
❌ Abstinence-Only Messaging.
Telling teens to “just say no” ignores reality. They will encounter these substances—and if we don’t educate them, someone else will.
❌ Punitive Consequences.
Suspending kids for drug use? Kicking them off sports teams? Taking away the only structured, positive influences in their lives? Genius.
✅ What Does Work:
1. Teaching True, Non-Judgmental Facts
Teens want honest information. If we teach them how alcohol affects reaction time, what cannabis does to memory, and how nicotine addiction actually works—they make smarter choices.
2. Prioritizing Mental Health Resources
If we address why teens are using substances in the first place—stress, anxiety, depression, or boredom—we can replace substance use with healthier coping mechanisms.
3. Encouraging Open Conversations
If a teen feels like they’ll be punished or shamed for talking about substance use, they’ll hide it. If they trust you, they might actually ask for help when they need it.
4. Creating Engaging, Meaningful Alternatives
What fills the void? Sports, music, gaming, coding, community projects, mentorship programs. If a teen is excited about something positive, they’re less likely to need a negative escape.
So, What’s the Plan?
Fear doesn’t work. Abstinence-only messaging doesn’t work. Moral grandstanding? Also ineffective.
What works? Empowerment. Education. Alternatives.
Let’s stop pretending that lecturing teens into submission is the answer. Instead, let’s invest in mental health, open conversations, and support systems that actually address why they’re turning to substances in the first place.
Want to dive deeper? Check out our Cannabis Education Hub for a more balanced, research-backed approach.
Read our summary of what Cannabis Hyperemesis is, what to know about it, how it’s often misunderstood, and what can be done about it.
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