From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov Transcript for: Youth Substance Use Description: As the federal government funds prevention, treatment, and recovery services for illicit substance abuse, how much attention is paid to adolescents and young adults? Related GAO Work: GAO-18-606: Adolescent and Young Adult Substance Use: Federal Grants for Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services and for Research. Released: September 2018 [ Background Music ] [ John Dicken: ] There are common challenges across all age groups but also some of these unique aspects that affect particularly adolescents and young adults. [ Matt Oldham: ] Welcome to GAO's Watchdog Report, your source for news and information from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. I'm Matt Oldham. Around 1 in 6 adolescents and more than 1 out of 3 young adults used illicit substances in 2016. These are ages where illicit substance use is particularly risky because it could harm normal brain development. And while the federal government funds programs like treatment and recovery services, how does it handle these two critical age groups, the 12 to 17 and 18 to 25 year olds? John Dicken is a director on our Health Care team. He led a report covering this issue and is here with some answers. Thank you for taking time to speak with me, John. [ John Dicken: ] Thank you. I appreciate your interest in the report. [ Matt Oldham: ] Are there differences when comes to the services like prevention, treatment, and research between our teens and young adults and older age groups? [ John Dicken: ] And there are some unique aspects to providing treatment and prevention services to young adults and adolescents. Some of that is reaching those individuals in settings where they're located, whether that's their schools or trying to reach them through other types of media and modes such as mobile cell phone apps or texting, email. There are common challenges across all age groups but also some of these unique aspects that affect particularly adolescents and young adults. [ Matt Oldham: ] So how are agencies currently addressing some of these challenges? [ John Dicken: ] Well we did hear from the federal agencies that as they make funding available that they were aware of a number of these challenges. In some cases, they were able to point to new grant programs that they're planning to provide particularly target, for example, recovery services. To explore, for example, things like using mobile apps and cell phone apps that might better reach young adults. And so there was awareness of these but also continued to be challenges that the gaps were large and difficult to meet in a single setting or single program. [ Matt Oldham: ] So as we're talking about the differences between treatment and recovery in these age groups and other older age groups, do these age groups otherwise represent the same trends we're seeing in the general population as a whole when it comes to illicit substance use? [ John Dicken: ] Right yeah certainly nationally there's been an increase in illicit substance abuse. A lot of focus and concern about the explosion of use of opioids and synthetic opioids and certainly that affects young adults and adolescents as well. We've seen increase in overdose deaths among adolescents and young adults, increasing multifold over the last decade. So it is a real concern. It extends beyond opioids, and synthetic opioids as well, and certainly heard from state programs and providers, other stakeholders that there are issues that not only in targeting the opioid issue that's of current focus but other types of illicit substances are also of concern. [ Background Music ] [ Matt Oldham: ] It sounds like some federal agencies have identified gaps in federally-funded services for adolescents and young adults who use illicit substances. So, John, what's next? How can we close these gaps for these younger age groups? [ John Dicken: ] Right. And unfortunately given the kind of growth in use, there's no one simple answer. Certainly I think important to continue to build on the experience of learned from past grant programs. Many of these do have evaluations to see to what affect they've had on reducing use of substances in their communities and to try to learn from those evaluations. Some of the research that's looking at cognitive development and effects of substances. Substance use on cognitive development could help better inform effective prevention treatment and recovery. So it's a long-term road but certainly good -- important to learn the lessons from the funding that's already occurred as more federal funds become available. [ Matt Oldham: ] So John, what do you believe is the bottom line of your report? [ John Dicken: ] Well certainly young adults and adolescents are a critical at-risk population when it comes to substance abuse issues. And we did see that a number of federal agencies are dedicating funding to help provide grant programs for states and localities and other groups to use and try to treat these services but there remain a number of gaps in terms of shortage of recovery services, shortage of treatment providers, and certain populations including how to target prevention to federally-recognized tribes, to LGBT youth, and others that may have special focus and needs. [ Matt Oldham: ] John Dicken is a director on our Health Care team and he was talking about a report looking at how federal agencies help tackle illicit substance use in our adolescents and young adults. Thank you for your time, John. [ John Dicken: ] All right, thank you. 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