Stimulant misuse among youth

Rates of stimulant use, including misuse of prescription stimu-lants and use of cocaine and methamphetamine, are rising rap-idly among adolescents and young adults ("youth"). Stimulant misuse is associated with overdose, polysubstance use, sub-stance use disorders, and other medical harms. Substance use is often initiated during adolescence and young adulthood, and interventions during these crucial years have the potential to impact the lifetime risk of stimulant use disorder and associ-ated harms. In this narrative review, we review recent data on prescription and illicit stimulant use in youth. We describe the rising contribution of stimulants to polysubstance use involving opioids and other substances and to overdose, as well as ways to minimize harm. We also discuss prescription stimulant mis-use, which is especially prevalent among youth relative to other age groups, and the limited evidence on potential pathways from prescription stimulant use to illicit stimulant use. Last, we assess potential strategies for the prevention and treatment of stimulant use disorder in youth.