Lower-risk substance use guidelines accessible by youth.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Substance Use Research
• Harm Reduction Strategies

Background:

• Lower-risk substance use guidelines (LRSUGs) are evidence-based harm reduction tools.
• These guidelines provide information to individuals to minimize harms associated with substance use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify LRSUGs accessible to youth.
• To characterize recommendations within existing LRSUGs.
• To identify gaps in current LRSUGs for youth.

Main Methods:

• Digital assessment using Google search engine to find LRSUGs.
• Focused search on commonly used substances relevant to youth.
• Coding and data extraction from identified LRSUGs to analyze content and identify gaps.

Main Results:

• 130 LRSUGs identified, primarily for alcohol, cannabis, and caffeine.
• Guidelines often included recommendations on dosing, frequency, and timing of use.
• Only 16% of LRSUGs were youth-specific, and 25% offered gender-specific advice.
• Less than half of guidelines cited supporting evidence.

Conclusions:

• Significant gaps exist in LRSUGs for youth, including a lack of youth-specific content and insufficient evidence-based information.
• There is a need for greater youth engagement in developing harm reduction strategies.
• Development of youth-oriented, evidence-based LRSUGs is essential for supporting young people's substance use management.