Gateway Drugs: What They Are and Why They Matter

Maybe you are a parent who is concerned about what will happen after your young adult leaves for college (Read What You and Your Young Adult Need to Know about Campus Life).  Or perhaps you have watched your spouse becoming increasingly interested in a social life that revolves around a certain substance.  Or maybe you are a good friend of someone who served overseas and who is turning to substance use to forget painful memories (Read Veterans and Addiction: Bringing the War Home). Regardless of your reason for being concerned, the unfortunate reality is – you might need to continue watching for warning signs of increasingly risky behaviors and use of more dangerous drugs.

What is a gateway drug?

As the name suggests, a “gateway” drug is considered to be the entryway into abuse of or addiction to more powerful substances.

What are examples of gateway substances?

A few of the most common gateway “drugs” are tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.  Because alcohol and tobacco can be purchased legally in the United States by anyone of age, many people do not perceive them as having the same potential for negative consequences as other substances.  Indeed, with the exception of a binge-drinking marathon that could result in alcohol poisoning, most of the damage that these substances do to the body (Read Alcoholism from the Inside) and the family system (Read Alcoholism’s Effects on The Family) results from prolonged, excessive use over months, years, or even decades.  Similarly, although marijuana has been associated with a number of negative physical and mental consequences (Read Marijuana Abuse and Testicular Cancer: Recent Findings and Marijuana Use & Mental Health: A Path to Schizophrenia?), it is considered less harmful than substances like heroin or cocaine and is even used to treat some medical conditions (Read Medical Marijuana).

What drugs will people use after they have started with a gateway drug?

This depends on the individual. Although the answer for some people is “any drug that will give an increasingly euphoric experience (a ‘high’),” other individuals may stay within a class of drugs.  People who are looking for a relaxing experience may move from alcohol or marijuana to opiates like heroin (all considered “downers”). By contrast, people who want to feel invincible, focused, and energetic may continue with “uppers” like crystal meth and cocaine.  One study on adolescents in Australia showed that those who were using amphetamines by age 24 (but not at age 20) had a higher rate of smoking marijuana at age 20 (i.e., marijuana use was associated with later amphetamine use). If the participant had been smoking cannabis at age 15, they were determined to be 15 times more likely to take amphetamines in their third decade of life.

Is everyone who uses a gateway drug in danger of becoming addicted or “upgrading” to a stronger drug?

No.  Addiction is multi-factorial (Read Who Becomes an Addict?).  If someone else in the person’s family has had a problem with addiction (Read Addiction and Genetics); if the person is looking for social acceptance and has difficulty dealing with peer pressure; or if the person is using the substance to cope with a problem (like PTSD, domestic violence, depression, or hopelessness), they may be at a greater risk for trying more powerful drugs and/or developing an addiction.

When should I speak up if someone is abusing a gateway drug?

The sooner you get an at-risk person help, the better!  The experienced addiction consultants at eDrugRehab are available to answer your questions!  Call now.