Cannabis Is the Top Reason Australian Teens Seek Substance Use Treatment — and Has Been for Years
Analysis of nearly 3 million treatment episodes in Australia from 2003–2020 found cannabis was consistently the most common principal substance of concern for both adolescents and emerging adults seeking treatment, with treatment completion rates as a key ongoing challenge.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Cannabis was the most common principal substance of concern for adolescents (ages 10–17) and emerging adults (ages 18–24) across the entire 2003–2020 period. Joinpoint regression revealed trends in treatment settings, planned completion rates, and sex distribution over time.
Key Numbers
2,904,012 treatment episodes analyzed. 2003–2020 timeframe. Cannabis: most common principal substance for ages 10–17 and 18–24. Treatment settings, completion, and sex trends examined via joinpoint regression.
How They Did This
Analysis of the Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services National Minimum Data Set (N=2,904,012 episodes). Joinpoint regression characterized trends in principal substance, treatment setting, planned completion, and sex among adolescents (10–17), emerging adults (18–24), and adults (25+).
Why This Research Matters
Despite alcohol being a bigger overall public health problem, cannabis drives more treatment episodes among young Australians than any other substance. Understanding trends in cannabis-related treatment seeking helps health systems plan services for the population that needs them most.
The Bigger Picture
The persistence of cannabis as the top treatment driver for young people despite decades of policy changes and public health campaigns suggests current approaches may be insufficient. Treatment completion rates remain a challenge, indicating a need for youth-specific intervention models.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Administrative treatment data — reflects who seeks treatment, not total population need. Australian-specific context (different cannabis policy than US). Treatment episodes, not individuals (some people appear multiple times). Cannot capture untreated cannabis problems.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why does cannabis dominate youth treatment despite being viewed as less harmful than alcohol?
- ?Are treatment programs designed for adult alcohol users adequate for young cannabis users?
- ?Would earlier intervention reduce treatment episodes?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Large national administrative dataset spanning 18 years with sophisticated trend analysis, providing robust epidemiological evidence.
- Study Age:
- Published 2025, data from 2003–2020.
- Original Title:
- Trends in treatment attendance for substance use disorders among adolescents and emerging adults in Australia, 2003-2020.
- Published In:
- Drug and alcohol dependence, 275, 112845 (2025)
- Authors:
- Wells, Megan, Kelly, Peter J, Larance, Briony(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07940
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is cannabis the top reason teens seek treatment?
While alcohol causes more overall harm, cannabis may prompt treatment-seeking earlier in young people due to its association with academic problems, family conflicts, and legal consequences. Cannabis use disorder also develops faster in adolescents than adults.
Are youth cannabis treatment programs effective?
The study examined treatment trends but not outcomes. However, the fact that completion rates remain challenging suggests youth-specific approaches — possibly including digital interventions and family-based therapy — may be needed.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07940APA
Wells, Megan; Kelly, Peter J; Larance, Briony. (2025). Trends in treatment attendance for substance use disorders among adolescents and emerging adults in Australia, 2003-2020.. Drug and alcohol dependence, 275, 112845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112845
MLA
Wells, Megan, et al. "Trends in treatment attendance for substance use disorders among adolescents and emerging adults in Australia, 2003-2020.." Drug and alcohol dependence, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112845
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Trends in treatment attendance for substance use disorders a..." RTHC-07940. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/wells-2025-trends-in-treatment-attendance
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.