Addressing Substance Misuse Among Transition-Age Youth Not Attending College

Young adults ages 18 to 25, also defined as transition-age youth, are at high risk for substance misuse—particularly alcohol and marijuana use. Results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) showed nonstudents are at a higher risk than college students of developing alcohol use disorder, and were more likely to have used marijuana in the past month.

To date, prevention efforts for this age group focus almost exclusively on those who attend a four-year college, creating a gap in prevention messaging and efforts when it comes to young adults who are taking different paths in their lives. It is also important to address alcohol and substance misuse among young adults who are exploring their futures outside of the college setting. These individuals may already be in the workforce, enrolled in community college, or in other occupational and educational roles.

There is tremendous opportunity for prevention professionals and others who interface with young adults—whether they are high school guidance counselors; workplace HR managers; medical providers; or those who work in shelters, intervention and juvenile justice centers, and job corps—to play a role in connecting young adults to facts about substance use and services that can help them make healthy choices as they enter adulthood.

Preventing substance use among transition-age youth and young adults means giving them the tools to manage stress in healthy ways that don’t impede their future life goals.

Here are some approaches that work well with this age group:

• Have a conversation. Demonstrate that you care about their well-being, without judgment, and that you are a good source of information and can help them make informed decisions.
• Screen young adults by behavioral health professionals for potential substance use using Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) tool.
• Share what you know. Hearing actual accounts of young adults who have struggled with and overcome substance misuse problems can go a long way. Tell a peer-delivered story to demonstrate a safe space to talk. Use peer spokespeople. Include the problem, underlying issues or contributing factors, and offer solutions. Also, point to stories on social media or in the news to help illustrate why substance misuse leads to bad outcomes.
• Frame consequences in the short term and avoid fear tactics. Research shows that long-term health and other consequences don’t resonate with this population, and fear tactics (PDF | 679 KB) can backfire. Avoid reinforcing negative messaging such as substance use as a rite of passage or as a result of peer pressure.
• Offer alternatives. If young adults you know seem to be using substances out of boredom or an abundance of time, help connect them to activities that will enrich their lives, like volunteering or taking up a sport. Frame these activities as a healthy and fulfilling way to transition into adulthood.
• Partner with other organizations to work together to address substance misuse among transition-age youth. For instance, health professionals can work with organizations providing youth services to direct them to the healthy activities referenced above.
• Connect with parents to let them know they are still an important influence in their children’s lives and impact their decisions when it comes to substance use prevention even after they turn 18 and leave high school. When youth have an unbiased support system at home, they are less likely to engage in harmful behaviors.
• Reflect the language of transition-age youth. Identify and understand who they are in terms of education, knowledge, and experiences so they are able to identify with the message. Be clear, concise, and use plain language that resonates. Do this by co-creating or pretesting materials with transition-age youth.
• Speak to transition-age youth’s values. By connecting issues to their values (guiding principles that inform goals, decisions, behaviors, and disposition), they are more likely to listen. This could include values such as self-image, connections to peers, or need to express individuality.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the stressors and challenges of being a young adult and offer solutions. Empower transition-age youth through action-oriented steps such as letting them know help is available, preventing substance use is possible, and they can learn to manage the stressors of life without using substances.