Adolescent substance use sits at the intersection of brain development, mental health, family dynamics, and social environments, making it one of the most complex challenges in pediatric practice. This session on Adolescent Substance Use focuses on practical, clinically grounded approaches to screening, early identification, counseling, and coordinated care for young people who experiment with or regularly use alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, cannabis, prescription medications, or other substances. Rather than treating substance use as a standalone problem, the discussion emphasises how it links with mood disorders, school difficulties, sleep disturbances, injury risk, and long-term health trajectories.

Clinicians and allied professionals increasingly seek Pediatrics Conference that offer real-world strategies they can implement immediately in busy clinics, school health settings, and community programs. This session highlights how to talk about use in a way that builds trust, avoids shame, and opens the door to honest disclosure. Participants will explore evidence-based frameworks such as SBIRT-style approaches, motivational interviewing principles, and risk stratification models that distinguish experimental use from emerging substance use disorders. Special attention is given to the influence of social media, marketing, and peer norms on adolescents’ perceptions of “safe” or “normal” use.

The session also addresses the broader ecosystem of pediatric addiction medicine, including when to manage concerns in primary care and when to involve specialised services. Faculty will discuss how to integrate substance use assessment into routine visits for injuries, mental health complaints, sexual health consultations, and chronic disease follow-up. Case examples will illustrate how trauma, family conflict, academic pressure, and unrecognised neurodevelopmental conditions can drive or complicate substance use patterns. Participants will gain language for having developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive conversations that incorporate parents or caregivers when safe and appropriate, while still honouring adolescent confidentiality requirements.

Finally, the session explores systems-level opportunities to reduce risk and improve outcomes. These include school-based prevention programs, partnerships with youth organisations, digital tools for self-monitoring and support, and community-level interventions targeting availability and exposure. Delegates will leave with structured assessment questions, brief counseling scripts, safety-planning templates, and referral pathways that can be adapted for low-, middle-, and high-resource settings. The overarching goal is to move beyond crisis-driven reactions toward proactive, continuous, and compassionate care that supports adolescents in reducing harm, building resilience, and pursuing healthy futures.