Partnership for Drug-Free Kids (2016) It’s often said that teens use drugs when their friends do. Using drugs allows these young people to fit in with their peers and blend in with the crowd, and it might also give teens something to do when the days grow long and they’re tired of their televisions, computers and video games. Adults. A 2007 teens study reported 65 percent of teens say they use drugs to “feel cool.” Teens’ self-worth depends on the approval of others, and their desire for social acceptance can drive them to engage in destructive behaviors, even if they know it could harm them. “The study of General Psychiatry found that 65 percent of teens use drugs to feel better about themselves. Teens who have low self-esteem are more likely to seek acceptance from the wrong crowd by using drugs”