Concern is no longer limited to drug trafficking or illegal drugs. Today, problematic substance use has fully entered high school backpacks. This is reflected in the Seventh National Study on Psychoactive Substance Use among Secondary School Students, conducted by Sedronar, which measured the situation again after eleven years without national statistics. The report is a snapshot that sets off all alarms: more and more kids are drinking alcohol, smoking cannabis, and vaping, and what is most frightening is that they do not see the risk.
The data show a clear trend: as students’ age increases, so does the consumption of different substances. In the early years of high school, alcohol and energy drinks predominate. But between ages 15 and 16, cannabis and electronic cigarettes or vape devices begin to gain ground. In contrast, traditional tobacco consumption continues to decline compared to previous years, although alcohol remains, by a wide margin, the most prevalent substance among adolescents.
For Eduardo Lavorato, president of the International Council on Addictions, Building Preventive Culture (CIMACUP), the problem goes far beyond substances. «Adolescents have a very low perception of risk. The idea has taken hold that vaping is healthier than smoking tobacco or consuming cannabis, when many devices contain high doses of nicotine and other substances that generate dependence and can be very harmful,» he explained.
According to the specialist, adolescence is a stage marked by a sense of invulnerability. «They feel they already know everything when their brain is still developing. That is why they often do not grasp the consequences of what they do,» he noted. This combination of low risk perception and a sense of omnipotence can lead to complex situations, where young people end up exposing themselves to risks that affect both their health and those around them.
Lavorato also emphasized that many substance uses begin at gatherings among friends or in the so-called «previas» (pre-parties), where alcohol and cannabis appear as a way to fit into the group. The problem, he warns, is that what starts as an occasional experience can over time become a difficult habit to break. The specialist maintains that both parents and teachers should be alert to certain changes. «The first thing that usually draws attention are changes in daily habits and changes in friend groups,» he indicated.
However, he clarified that not all substances produce the same behaviors. Some encourage socialization, while others lead to isolation. That is why he insists that prevention should not be based solely on prohibitions or stigmatization, but on strengthening the bonds between adolescents and the adults who accompany them. «We are talking about kids who are still building their identity. If they do not find present adults to guide them, they can seriously compromise their future,» he warned.
Specialists agree that prevention requires joint work among families, schools, social organizations, and the state. In this context, the General Directorate of Social Policies on Addictions of the City of Buenos Aires will take advantage of the June 26 event to develop an awareness campaign in all its care centers. Its director, Matías Kornetz, explained that activities will be held in five Buenos Aires squares with the aim of informing the community about the resources available to prevent and treat problematic substance use. The initiative seeks to reach about 10,000 people, promote Line 108, option 3, which provides 24-hour guidance, and introduce a new virtual service for relatives of people who have not yet started treatment. For Kornetz, the message is clear: the earlier the intervention, the greater the chances of preventing occasional use from turning into a serious problem.
che pero q mierda los pibes toman alcohol y fuman porro xq el sistema los abandona para mi en vez de estigmatizar denles educacion y contencion basta de moralina hipocrita los ricos se drogan en sus countries y nadie dice nada yo creo q sedronar es un chiste
Para mí esto es una vergüenza nacional. Los pibes de hoy se la pasan tomando alcohol y fumando porro, y los zurdos festejan la libertad. Me parece que acá se necesita mano dura, no psicólogos. Los padres que no controlan, que se hagan cargo. ¡A la hoguera con los vapeadores y el porro! Firmado: El Gaucho de la 9.