TikTok and Teen Drug Use: How Viral Trends Shape Perception

TikTok has exploded in popularity among young people. But along with dance memes and comedy skits, the social media platform is rife with videos depicting drug use among teens in a surprisingly casual light. Scrolling through the “For You” page, it’s easy to find clips of teens experimenting with alcoholic beverages, misusing medicines, or showing off vaping tricks.

Viral Content as the “New Normal”

TikTok’s algorithm delivers content based on user behavior. A teen who engages with videos about cannabis or alcohol might quickly find their feed full of similar posts. Repetition desensitizes in real time. Content that once seemed shocking soon feels normal, especially when portrayed as humorous or relatable.

These videos rarely show outcomes like hangovers, arrests, or overdoses. Instead, they promote a filtered, upbeat version of reality that minimizes harm, spreading misinformation about prescription drugs, alcoholic beverages, and even illegal drugs.

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Viral Trends That Normalize Substance Use

Here are a few troubling TikTok trends that have circulated widely:

The Benadryl Challenge

One of the most dangerous trends encourages teens to take excessive amounts of Benadryl to hallucinate. In 2023, a 13-year-old boy in Ohio died after attempting this challenge. The videos that inspired him made it look like a thrill, not a medical emergency.

DIY Highs

The “Nutmeg Challenge” encouraged teens to consume large amounts of the spice for a psychedelic effect. Nutmeg in high doses is toxic, leading to confusion, heart palpitations, and lasting damage. Yet the challenge gained traction, often presented as a weird experiment rather than a serious risk.

BORGs (Blackout Rage Gallons)

Popular among college students, BORGs involve mixing vodka, water, and flavor enhancers into gallon jugs. Despite claims that these drinks are “safer” because they include electrolytes, they often contain the equivalent of 16+ shots of alcohol. One TikTok-fueled BORG party led to 28 students being hospitalized for alcohol poisoning.

Vaping Videos

Teens frequently post vaping tricks and brand endorsements, portraying vaping as trendy and harmless. The health risks, addiction potential, and legal issues are rarely mentioned.

Hashtags Like #TripTok and #SniffTok

Under these tags, users share experiences and skits related to cannabis, ketamine, or even prescription drug misuse. These videos often present drug use as funny or bonding, downplaying or ignoring risks.

How Misinformation and Peer Pressure Work Online

Many teens know about the dangers of drugs. But TikTok’s content makes those dangers feel distant. When someone scrolls through dozens of upbeat videos about drinking or smoking weed, they start to see it as normal, even expected.

The problem is what’s missing. Teens aren’t seeing detox, withdrawal, or ER visits. They’re not seeing the ramifications of full-blown addiction. This selective portrayal of reality can mislead teens into thinking drugs are safe in moderation—or even that they’re a social necessity.

Negative peer pressure plays a huge role. On TikTok, popularity is measured in views and likes. When risky behavior goes viral, it sends a signal: this is what gets attention. That kind of social validation influences behavior, especially among teens who may already feel isolated, stressed, or insecure.

For teens with existing risk factors like mental health challenges or family trauma, TikTok’s messaging can be especially harmful. A funny video about getting high may reinforce the idea that substances are a solution to deeper problems.

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Real-World Consequences

While not every teen who sees drug-related TikTok videos will try them, these trends have had clear offline impacts:

The content teens consume online contributes to risky decisions offline—and in some cases, tragically fatal ones. Drugs like opioids are a public health crisis

How Parents Can Respond

TikTok isn’t going away. Instead of panic, parents can focus on education, dialogue, and boundaries.

1. Talk Without Judgment

Ask your teen what they’re watching and how they feel about it. Share what you’ve seen, too. Rather than lectures, aim for conversations. The goal is open communication, not control. Tell them they can talk to you about anything, especially if they’re feeling pressured or confused about what they see online.

2. Promote Critical Thinking

Help your teen understand that not everything online is true. Discuss how videos can be staged, edited, or only show part of a story. Encourage them to ask: “What’s missing here? What might have happened after this video ended?”

3. Monitor and Support Without Spying

Keep tabs on what your teen is exposed to—without invading their privacy. If you’re not already connected on TikTok, ask to see the kinds of accounts they follow. Teens with engaged, supportive parents are less likely to try alcohol and marijuana or experiment with drugs in secret. Staying aware is critical for your family safety as well as growing public health effort to reduce digital exposure to risky behaviors.

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4. Address the Underlying Why

Talk about why teens might want to use substances. Boredom, social anxiety, or emotional pain are all common motivators. If your teen is dealing with mental health challenges, make sure they know there are safer ways to cope.

5. Share Real-Life Consequences

Without fearmongering, talk about the actual risks. Mention overdose deaths tied to fake pills. Bring up the students hospitalized from BORGs. Let them know that what happens online doesn’t always stay there—and that bad decisions can carry real world costs.

6. Encourage Healthier Content

Not all of TikTok is harmful. Some creators promote sobriety, mental wellness, and honest discussions about drug recovery. Help your teen find and follow accounts that reflect positive values.

A Shared Responsibility

TikTok’s influence on young adults isn’t going away. But it doesn’t have to lead to harm. With informed parenting, open communication, and strong critical thinking, teens can learn to question what they see and resist harmful trends.

The key is staying involved. Don’t assume your teen knows better. Talk to them, ask questions, watch a video together, and unpack it. That small investment of time can prevent big problems down the road.

And if your teen is already struggling—or if you suspect substance use is becoming a problem—don’t wait to get help. The risks are too high, and the stakes are too real to go it alone.

Where to Turn for Help

If your teen is already struggling with substance use or mental health challenges, don’t wait. Reach out for help. Professional support can make all the difference in preventing a temporary mistake from becoming a long-term crisis.

More Than Rehab offers evidence-based treatment and resources tailored for teens, young adults, and families facing challenges related to substance use. Visit More Than Rehab to speak with a caring team that understands the pressures today’s youth face—and how to turn things around before it’s too late.

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Friends & Family Can Contribute to Drug Addiction

There is truth to the expression, “One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.” That’s because ripe apples produce ethylene, a ripening agent. When you store apples together, the ethylene prods other apples to ripen further and eventually rot.

It takes a single apple to start a domino chain that ruins the rest of the bunch. And guess what? The same holds true for drug users. You’re very likely to abuse drugs when you hang out with people who abuse drugs. Not because of weak morals, but because of several mechanisms that we’ll cover in this article.

Understanding addiction

The initial decision to use drugs or alcohol is voluntary for most people. However, repeated use changes the brain in ways that make it hard to quit, even for those who want to. Those recovering from a long term substance use disorder have a higher risk of drug use, even after years of leading a sober life. This is especially true if they’re dealing with mental health problems or are hanging around places or people connected to the addictive behavior.

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Friends or family members, who participated in the addictive behavior, are potential triggers for relapse, irrespective of whether or not they’re still using drugs. That’s because they bring back the memories of addiction. In some cases, they may ask you to go out or even tell you stories and share images of their happy moments in your absence. All these can lead you back to addiction.

But relapse is not the only way friends can contribute to drug addiction. This article will discuss different ways friends can worsen your drug use problems. But before we do, let’s look at the relationship between peer pressure and drug use.

Social learning theory

Social scientists who study peer pressure see it through the lens of social learning theory. According to this theory, when people observe other people’s behaviors and reactions using addictive substances, they may wish to replicate what they saw. For example, an agitated friend walks into the room.

They then sniff cocaine or smoke meth. After a few minutes, they’re relaxed and fun to be around. The person observing all this will know that the drug is a good way of coping with stress – because it’s what they’ve seen. So, any time they feel stressed or agitated, they may use the drugs to calm down.

Social learning is the most common way that people learn. When you observe your friends abusing drugs, you become more likely to try out drugs too. That’s because you have learned through observation that drugs achieved a positive result. You could also use drugs out of a need to be part of the group.

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Human beings have a strong need for social interaction. So, it becomes critical to consider the compelling social nature of many addictions. Most addictions need at least the cooperation of other people. And as the addiction progresses, the chances of a person interacting with healthy, non-using individuals become slimmer.

That’s because family and friends eventually disengage. At the same time, addiction takes up most of the addict’s time. In the end, the addict’s entire social circle is dominated by role models associated with the addiction.

How friends and family can contribute to drug addiction

Negative peer pressure

Negative peer pressure can be divided into two parts:

Direct negative often involves peers or friends directly asking you to try something, like abuse illegal drugs. It may be difficult to say no, especially if you are young and are concerned about how they’ll think of you. In some cases, they may hint that you’d be “uncool” if you didn’t take part or even provide reasoning that’s hard to argue against. The fear of losing friends or facing mockery can make you yield. Direct negative peer influence includes your friends or peers:

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Indirect negative is a subtle type of peer pressure and isn’t as apparent as direct negative. It happens when you try out drugs or alcohol just to fit in. Your friends don’t encourage you to participate in risky behaviors, but you feel pressure to do so to continue being part of that social group. Indirect negative peer pressure includes things like:

An NIH study assesses the group influences on an individual’s drinking and other drug use at clubs. A total of 368 social groups representing 986 people were anonymously surveyed. The study found that social groups had a definite impact on the individual outcome.

Group members seemed to know about other members’ drug use or drinking patterns, which were related to their drinking and other drug use. This suggests that normative patterns are established for the group, and social modeling happens within the group.

Signs your friends are making your drug use problem worse

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Positive peer pressure

Not all peer pressure is bad. Friends can influence you into making the right choices. Positive peer pressure is when friends bring a good change in your life – and this can be a useful tool in addiction treatment. In fact, many treatment facilities use this strategy to influence patients’ behavior. The same way a person in a drug-using circle uses drugs to fit in is the same way a person in a sober circle will want to stop using to fit in.

If you or someone close to you is struggling with substance abuse as a result of hanging out with wrong company, we can help. Contact us today to get started.