Substance Abuse Resources
A collection of supportive educational resources that Cook Children’s staff have selected to offer families guidance, understanding, and hope while navigating the challenges of substance abuse in children. Our hope is to provide you with tools to foster healing and resilience in your journey together.
What is substance abuse?
Substance abuse is when someone drinks alcohol or smokes or takes drugs in a way that could lead to health, legal, and other problems.
Important substance abuse topics for families
- What parents should know about teens, drinking and drugs | Child Mind Institute
- Quick guide to substance use disorder | Child Mind Institute
- Substance use disorder | MedlinePlus
- Substance abuse treatment for children and adolescents: Questions to ask | The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- What is nicotine? (for parents) | Cook Children's
- What is nicotine? (for kids) | Cook Children's
- How can I help my teen quite smoking for good? | Cook Children's
- Smokeless tobacco | Cook Children's
- Kids and smoking | Cook Children's
- Nicotine and tobacco | MedlinePlus
- Tobacco and kids | The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Vaping, what parents should know | Cook Children's
- Vaping, what you need to know (for teens) | Cook Children's
- Teen vaping: What you need to know | Child Mind Institute
- What are vaping devices? | National Institute on Drug Abuse
- E-cigarettes and vaping | The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Marijuana (for teens) | Cook Children's
- What is marijuana | Cook Children's
- Marijuana and psychosis | Child Mind Institute
- Does teenage marijuana use affect IQ? | Child Mind Institute
- CBD: What parents need to know | Child Mind Institute
- What is marijuana? | National Institute on Drug Abuse
- Marijuana and teens | The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Giving opioid prescription pain medicine: What parents need to know | Cook Children's
- Taking prescription opioid pain medicines safely (for teens) | Cook Children's
- What is fentanyl? | Cook Children's
- Prescription drug abuse (for teens) | Cook Children's
- What are prescription opioids? | National Institute on Drug Abuse
- Alcohol (for teens) | Cook Children's
- Alcohol (for kids) | Cook Children's
- Alcohol abuse (for parents) | Cook Children's
- Talking to your kids about alcohol | Cook Children's
- Teaching your teen about binge drinking | Child Mind Institute
- Underage drinking | MedlinePlus
- Alcohol use in families | The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Teens: Alcohol and other drugs | The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Talking to your child about drugs | Cook Children's
- Talking to your child about alcohol | Cook Children's
- Teens self-medicating with drugs and alcohol | Child Mind Institute
- Is my teenager a substance abuser? | Child Mind Institute
- Talking to your teen about drinking | MedlinePlus
Need help finding information?
Finding health information you can trust can be confusing and overwhelming. Let us help. A Cook Children's librarian can send you up to date information from reliable sources.
Additional resources for families
Raising Joy podcast
We encourage you to subscribe to our Raising Joy podcast, which aims to encourage hope and resilience among children and teens. Available on the following networks:
Behavioral health services
Our licensed experts provide psychology and psychiatry services for families whose children and adolescents, ages 2 to 18, are experiencing behavioral, neurodevelopmental and emotional challenges.