Effects of Substance Abuse in Young Adults

Substance abuse among young adults and addiction has become a serious public health concern, one with long-term negative effects on society. As people between the ages of 18 and 25 navigate major life transitions, from gaining independence to launching careers and building important relationships, substance abuse can have lasting impacts on their physical and mental health. 

Because the brain continues to develop into a person’s mid-twenties, introducing substances during this time can disrupt areas of the brain related to impulse control, memory, and emotions. Over time, continued substance abuse can lead to chronic health conditions, cognitive challenges, and the development of mental health disorders.

Substance Use in Young Adults

Most young adults—those aged 18 to 25—are in good health. However, many young adults run an increased risk for behaviors that can lead to substance use disorders, or SUDs for short. What’s more, many adults living with a SUD started using and abusing substances in their teens and young adult years.¹ 

In 2023, roughly half of all U.S. residents ages 12 and up—approximately 135 million people—had reported drinking alcohol at some point in the previous month. Among these 135 million people, nearly 17 million were young adults.² This figure makes up nearly 40 percent of young adults in the U.S. Young adults showed the highest percentage of those who had used illicit drugs at some point in the previous year, with 39 percent or 13.3 million people.² The numbers showing misuse of prescription psychotherapeutics like stimulants, pain relievers, and tranquilizers also showed the highest percentage among young adults, at 6 percent or approximately 2 million people.²

Commonly Abused Substance Among Young Adults 

Adults 26 and older may make up the largest segment of the population that consumes alcohol, but the largest percentage of people who had, in the previous month, binged alcohol—that is, had five or more alcoholic drinks on the same occasion—was among young adults, with 28.7 percent or 9.8 million people.²

Young adults also led the way in heavy drinking, which is defined as binge drinking on five or more occasions over the previous month. The percentage of heavy drinkers among young adults was 6.9 percent or 2.4 million people.² 

Marijuana is also popular among young adults, with 36.5 percent or 12.4 million people aged 18 to 25 having used the substance on at least one occasion in the previous year.²

Young adults account for nearly one quarter of the 4 million people in the U.S. who had in the previous year misused prescription stimulants like ADHD products, methylphenidate products, diet pills, Provigil® (modafinil), and other prescription stimulants.² Abuse of prescription stimulants has proven far more popular among young adults than abuse of prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in the previous year: Among the 4.7 million people who reported misusing prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in the previous year, 576,000 were young adults.²  

As for the illicit stimulant cocaine (including crack cocaine), young adults made up 1 million of the 5 million people who had used this substance in the previous year.² Hallucinogens also proved popular among young adults, with 6.7 percent or 2.3 million of those aged 18 to 25 having taken a hallucinogen such as LSD, PCP, peyote, mescaline, psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA, or ketamine at some point in the previous year.² 

Effects of Substance Abuse in Young Adults 

Addiction in young adults can lead to serious long-term consequences that disrupt a person’s ability to realize important life milestones. Those who abuse drugs or alcohol are more likely to struggle with forming healthy relationships, maintaining employment, and developing personal independence.  

While short-term effects like hangovers and nausea are common, the effects of long-term substance abuse can include an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents and impaired decision-making, raising the risk of serious injury and death. 

Up until age 25, the brain’s prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, and amygdala are still maturing. Substance use interferes with this maturation process, leading to long-term issues around impulse control, memory, motivation, and emotional regulation. Long-term substance abuse has also been linked to chronic diseases like liver and heart disease, respiratory problems, and mental health disorders.³ 

The health risks of substance abuse in young adults include:^3,4 

• Memory loss 
• Academic or career challenges 
• Interpersonal relationship difficulties 
• Unsafe, illegal, or risky behaviors 
• Cancer 
• Depression 
• Infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV 
• Overdose

Why Do Young Adults Abuse Substances? 

The likelihood of a person between the ages of 18 and 25 abusing alcohol or drugs is shaped by their brain development and a number of key environmental factors.  

Between the ages of 18 and 25, the brain’s limbic system, which manages emotions and reward-seeking, tends to mature earlier than the frontal lobe, which controls decision-making and impulse control. This dynamic can lead to poor judgment, impulsivity, and a strong drive for pleasure, all of which increases the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors like substance abuse. Because the brain is still developing into a person’s late twenties, young adults are susceptible to using alcohol or drugs before their cognitive control systems have fully formed. Along with these neurological factors, a combination of individual traits and social influences heighten the risk of substance abuse among young adults. For instance, as people move away from home and the oversight from parents is reduced, peer pressure can sometimes fill the vacuum. Meanwhile, people with a family history of addiction or who have experienced parental abuse or neglect may be more likely to abuse substances.³

Co-Occurring Disorders in Young Adults

The relationship between SUDs and co-occurring mental health disorders in young adults is a complex one. Roughly one third of U.S. adults aged 18 are dual diagnosis, that is, living with a mental health disorder and a SUD.⁵ 

SUDs and co-occurring mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often interact with each other, affecting a person’s symptoms, treatment regimens, and health outcomes.  

Here’s how it works: people living with a mental health disorder may use alcohol or drugs to temporarily escape their symptoms, especially if they lack access to appropriate mental health care. However, abuse of these substances can make their mental health symptoms worse, both immediately and over time. This can lead to the person further abusing substances to escape their worsening symptoms. When compared to other age groups, the co-occurrence of a mental health disorder and a SUD appears concentrated in young adults. Nearly 3 percent of young adults have SUD and a co-occurring mental health disorder, compared to just under 2 percent of adults aged 26 to 49 years and less than 1 percent of adults aged 50 and older.³

Addiction Treatment Options for Young Adults 

Empowered Recovery Center in Atlanta offers flexible, evidence-based addiction treatment options that can be tailored to suit the needs of today’s young adults. Our options include  Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), and standard outpatient (OP) care. 

Our outpatient programs are a particularly strong option for young adults seeking addiction treatment, as these programs are less intensive than what is offered under traditional inpatient treatment programs. Outpatient programs enable patients to live in their own homes and manage everyday duties at school, university, or work while still receiving the care they need. 

Finding just the right addiction treatment program depends on the patient’s health history, the substance to which they are addicted, and the length of their addiction. Empowered Recovery Center in Atlanta can provide personalized treatment plans for young adults that are tailored to meet their needs. 

Rehab for Young Adults in Atlanta, Georgia 

At Empowered Recovery Center in Atlanta, we’re here to help you build toward a life you actually want to live. Our team is all about giving patients real tools that spark real change, helping you maintain and build on that progress over the long haul. 

We offer a range of addiction treatment programs designed to meet you where you are, whether that’s partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), or outpatient (OP) rehab. These programs guide you through the ups and downs of recovery with support that really works, plus they are flexible enough for young adults who cannot stay in an inpatient facility. Also, every program at our facility includes a full year of free recovery coaching, so even after you’ve wrapped up treatment, you’re not going it alone. Worried about the cost of rehab or using insurance for rehab? We accept most major insurance plans and can work with plenty of out-of-network options, too. And our admissions team can help you verify your benefits, walk you through the costs, and make sure you’re clear on how it all works. If you’re ready to learn more, just contact our drug and alcohol rehab in Atlanta! We’re here to help whenever you’re ready.

References

1. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024). Substance Use Among Youth. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/youth-behavior/risk-behaviors/substance-use-among-youth.html
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2024). Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt47095/National%20Report/National%20Report/2023-nsduh-annual-national.pdf
3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (n.d.). Substance Misuse Prevention for Young Adults (Evidence-Based Resource Guide Series). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved April 14, 2025, from https://library.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/substance-misuse-prevention-pep19-pl-guide-1.pdf
4. Cleveland Clinic (2024). Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Cleveland Clinic’s Health Library. Retrieved April 14, 2025, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16652-drug-addiction-substance-use-disorder-sud
5. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2024). National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved April 14, 2025, from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/nsduh-national-survey-drug-use-and-health
6. National Institute on Drug Abuse (2024). Co-Occurring Disorders and Health Conditions. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved April 14, 2025, from https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/co-occurring-disorders-health-conditions#mental