In this section

• What is screening?
• Why screen young people for
  substance misuse?
• Screening Vulnerable Groups
• When should you use the screening tool?
• How should screening happen?
• What is screening trying to establish?
• Outcomes of screening

Why screen young people for substance misuse?

Substance use is relatively common amongst young people, particularly once they hit their teenage years. Most of the young people who do experiment with substance use will never get beyond experimentation.
A smaller number will go on to use substances in a controlled way ('recreational use'). For some however, their use of substances may become out of control and begin to cause serious problems, including addiction.

The further a young person has travelled down the road of substance misuse, the more difficult it will be for them to regain control of their lives, and the more difficult for support services to engage them. For this
reason, it is essential that Non-drug specialist workers and agencies:

• are able to identify the early signs of substance misuse in young people
• are able to discuss substance misuse with the young people they work with
• don't wait until problems have become too big - be proactive.
• know how to respond if a young person they work with does need specialist help.