What Is a Gateway Drug?

Are Gateway Drugs Addictive?

Gateway drugs can be addictive. Alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana can all affect and change the brain³, leading to dependence and eventual addiction. Just because they’re legal and common doesn’t mean they’re safe. 

For example, about 29.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with alcohol use disorder⁴. In 2020, alcohol killed more people than COVID-19. Similarly, nicotine is highly addictive⁵, and the action of smoking/vaping is reinforcing. 

A study also found that 30% of those who take marijuana develop an addiction⁶ to it. Starting marijuana at a young age makes the chance of addiction higher, too. 

Are Gateway Drugs Not as Serious as Other Drugs?

No, gateway drugs are serious. Any psychoactive substance can harm your mind and body, unless taken under clinical advice and supervision. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a statement that “no level of alcohol consumption is safe.”⁷ Any amount of alcohol, they say, is toxic and has the potential to cause harm and dependence. 

Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances⁸, found to be as addictive as “hard” drugs like heroin and cocaine. Nicotine also takes effect right away (or as soon as you smoke or vape), which can worsen the rewarding effect and prompt frequent redoses. Starting small can quickly turn into an addiction.

Marijuana can affect your brain, heart, lungs, and learning capacity. Issues with memory, concentration, and learning⁹ can be permanent. Marijuana and tobacco smoke both contain carcinogens¹⁰ too, which can cause cancer.

Gateway Drug Statistics

A survey by the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse² found some staggering statistics about gateway drugs and stronger drugs (cocaine was the stronger drug in their example, but it could also be opioids, hallucinogens, and various synthetic drugs.)

Other factors can influence the following statistics, like personality, environment, age of onset, and more. Simply taking a “gateway drug” doesn’t mean your teen will start using stronger drugs or develop an addiction.

• 99.9% of people who take cocaine first used alcohol, nicotine, or marijuana
• 90% of teens and adults who take weed first smoked or drank
• An adult who used marijuana as a child is 17x more likely to regularly take cocaine
• An adult who smoked as a child is 3x more likely to take cocaine
• An adult who drank as a child is 6x more likely to use cocaine
• An adult who used all 3 gateway drugs (alcohol, nicotine, and weed) is 323x more likely to take cocaine
• A child who uses all 3 gateway drugs is 266x more likely to take cocaine

Implementing Early Prevention Strategies for Gateway Drugs

Several drug use prevention programs specifically focus on adolescents, including Youth.gov, the STOP Act, and D.A.R.E. The well-known D.A.R.E. movement focused on complete abstinence; more recent preventative strategies focus on community education, mental health treatment, and specifically discouraging marijuana use. 

Starting the conversation about alcohol and drugs can help your teen know the consequences of drug use and that they have other coping strategies available (like therapy, hobbies, and connecting to you as a parent). 

Treatment for Gateway Drugs

Many teens, young adults, and adults use drugs and alcohol as a coping tool for mental health disorders and emotional distress. Treating the symptoms of mental health conditions can prevent teens from using substances in the first place.

Behavioral therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) can correct thought distortions and help patients find new coping skills for emotional distress.

Sometimes, teens and adults may need detox and residential treatment for addiction. Detoxing from gateway drugs in a clinical setting safely removes toxins from the body. In residential rehab, patients receive daily monitoring and support, group therapies, and individual therapy to address the root causes of their addiction.  

Outpatient levels of care include day treatment, intensive outpatient, and general outpatient treatment. In outpatient, you live at home and go to treatment so you’ll have more time for school and work. 

Find The Best Drug And Alcohol Treatment Centers

To find a drug and alcohol treatment center and compare your options, you can browse RehabPath’s collection of rehabs to see photos, reviews, and insurance information.