The Landscape of Substance Use in Youth-2024.

An essential role of pediatric providers is to counsel youth and parents on behavioral health issues, including the use of Alcohol or other drugs (AODs). Although substance use by adolescents has decreased, a significant number of adolescents use AODs, causing those with regular use to be at risk of developing behavioral, physical, and mental health consequences that can continue into adulthood. This article was written to help pediatric providers understand the scope and associated effects of AOD use in their adolescent patients and equip them to counsel, identify, and intervene to reduce the harm to their patients who use AODs.