Drugs on Social Media: What Parents Should Know

Social media has accelerated teens’ exposure to drug-related and adult content, as well as increasing access to recreational, illicit, and potentially deadly drugs such as fentanyl. Nearly 25% of teen overdose deaths since 2019 are linked to counterfeit pills bought online. Many of these pills are bought through common platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and WhatsApp. 

The Institute of Digital Media and Child Development brought together public health experts and youth safety advocates to help parents understand how teens are buying drugs online, what the consequences are, and how to have open conversations with youth about substance abuse on social media [1]. 

How Teens Are Exposed to Drugs Online 

Reports show that over 75% of teens have been exposed to some kind of drug-related content on social media, whether it’s influencers posting pictures of themselves smoking cannabis or their friends posting videos of drinking alcohol [2]. 

Teens who constantly see this kind of content on their feeds can increase curiosity and encourage experimentation. Studies find that teens who use social media daily are nearly 3 times more likely to drink alcohol, twice as likely to use marijuana, and 5 times more likely to use nicotine [2]. 

Direct Messages and Disappearing Content 

Teens use direct messages AKA DMs (Snapchat, Instagram) that can be set to instantly disappear after being viewed, making it harder to track what teens are consuming or engaging with online. It also makes it harder for law enforcement to track dealers. 

Specific app features may be exploited, such as:

• Snapchat: Disappearing snaps and stories, private photo vaults, and location targeting allow dealers to operate without being traced. 
• Instagram: Private stories, finstas (fake instas), and DMs allow dealers to post “menus” of available substances or create engaging “marketing” ads to sell drugs.

Hashtags, Emojis, and Secret Code Language

Here’s the thing about using hashtags, emojis, and secret “code words” for drugs: yes, some teens do it, but it’s not as widespread, sneaky, or coordinated as some parents might think. 

When emojis are used as slang, it’s usually in more obvious ways:

• 💊= Pill
• 🔌=Plug 
• 🍁= Weed
• ❄️=Cocaine
• 🚀= Getting high or tripping 

As for hashtags, teens simply don’t use these. It’s more of a digital habit among millennials. Also, hashtags are designed to promote “awareness” of a public issue, not reveal illegal or secretive online behaviors. 

Snapchat Drug Dealers and Other Platform Risks 

Snapchat is an instant messaging app (often using pictures or videos known as “snaps”) that can quickly disappear after being viewed. Snapchat was criticized when it first came out in the early 2010s for its role in online underage pornography, with many youth using it to send nude photos on the app [3]. 

Now, a new problem has emerged. The rise of drug dealers on Snapchat is taking advantage of the increased privacy features to target teens and avoid getting caught by authorities.  

Why Snapchat is Popular For Selling Drugs 

Snapchat is known for its increased privacy settings, disappearing messages, and “My Eyes Only” feature that can hide or erase evidence, only making photos, videos, or information accessible to those with a passcode. 

This makes parental monitoring and law enforcement detection increasingly difficult. Snapchat also features “Snap Map”, which helps localize drug deals and increases accessibility for teens. 

The Rise of “Plug” Accounts and Illicit Ads 

The rise of drug dealer accounts, often referred to as “plugs” by teens, and illicit drug ads targeting youth on Snapchat is partially driven by the app’s design features. Snapchat has tailored algorithms that dealers exploit to reach vulnerable youth. A few key points to highlight the reality of this issue include:

• Dealers post private ads and connect with teens through direct messages, often moving to encrypted apps and cashless payments to avoid detection. 

• Minimal oversight and privacy settings make it hard for law authorities to track. 

• Over 60 families have sued Snapchat, accusing it of targeting minors in digital open-air drug markets [4].

Buying Drugs Online: How Easy Is It?

Buying drugs online, especially via Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, or TikTok, is increasingly easy and has become a top spot for teens to buy weed, vapes, and prescription drugs such as Xanax and Oxycodone.

Fake Prescription Pills and Fentanyl Risks 

Teens buying prescription or designer drugs such as Xanax online are often receiving counterfeit pills containing lethal fentanyl doses. This has contributed to the dramatic rise in teen overdose deaths. The FBI is currently investigating Snapchat’s role in fentanyl distribution. 

Dark Web vs Social Platforms 

Accessing drugs beyond social media is less common, with less than 2% of teens reporting they have used the dark web (an anonymous part of the internet that requires specialized software to access). Teens exploit encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram or WhatsApp, and may use websites such as Reddit, but as for “the dark web”, this is no longer used now that social media platforms offer more convenient pathways to buying drugs online. 

How to Talk to Your Teens About Drug Use on Social Media 

It’s important to have conversations around drug use and the internet with your teen because it plays a major role in their lives. Avoid giving them outdated facts about drug use or the internet, rooted in scare tactics. Look to communicate with them, and maybe even learn something, rather than lecturing them. 

Here are a few ways to talk to your teens about drug use on social media:

1. Get curious. Most teens have already seen drug stuff online or thought about it. Ask them some open-ended questions, such as “So what’s the craziest thing you have ever seen on Snapchat or TikTok?”
2. Talk about safety, not morality. Don’t waste your time with “just say no”. Focus on teaching them how to stay safe even if they are in a situation with drugs. Teach them about the dangers of fake drugs, such as counterfeit pills with fentanyl, and what to do in the case of an overdose, such as administering Narcan.
3. Don’t freak out about messages or emojis you don’t understand. Teens use code words, slang, and emojis that may sound odd but have nothing to do with substance abuse. 
4. Talk about the “why” behind drug abuse. Open up conversations around anxiety, depression, trauma, academic pressure, bullying, and emotional pain.
5. Acknowledge peer pressure. Validate how social media and peer influence can make them feel pressured to participate in behaviors they don’t want to. But also talk to them about how in adulthood it’s much cooler to be real and authentic, and that the fakeness of social media is not as important as they get older. 

Building Trust and Digital Awareness in Teens 

Clearfork Academy is a network of behavioral health facilities in Texas committed to helping teens recover from behavioral addictions, substance abuse, and mental health disorders. We are a licensed and accredited facility dedicated to providing comprehensive, evidence-based care and education for parents and caregivers of youth.  

Sources 

[1] Social Media, Drugs, and Youth. 2023. Institute of Digital Media and Child Development. 

[2] Horton, A, et al. 2024. Exploring relationships between social media use, online exposure to drug-related content, and youth substance use in real time: a pilot ecological momentary assessment study in a clinical sample of adolescents and young adults. Frontiers in Child Adolescent Psychiatry. 

[3] Norman, J. 2021. Snapchat: Communication and Automatic Destruction of Information, or Not. History of Information. 

[4] Snapchat Fentanyl Lawsuit. 2024. California Court of Appeals. Social Media Victims Law Center.

[5] SOCIAL MEDIA Drug Trafficking Threat. 2022. Drug Enforcement Administration.