Youth Substance Use & Vaping Risk Assessment
A detailed private Backing U self-assessment designed to help you reflect on young people's exposure to vaping, alcohol and other substances, including peer pressure, coping motives, loss of control and consequences. It looks across using vaping, alcohol or other substances more often than I planned, feeling pressure from friends to use substances, using substances to handle stress, anxiety, sadness or social discomfort, hiding or minimising how much I use and substance use affecting money, school, work, sport, relationships or health. The assessment contains 20 questions and is intended to give you a structured wellbeing snapshot, highlight the areas having the greatest effect, and provide practical recommendations for what to do next. It is not designed to diagnose a condition or replace an individual professional assessment.
The Youth Substance Use & Vaping Risk Assessment is a Backing U educational wellbeing and self-reflection tool. It is not a validated diagnostic instrument, does not provide a clinical diagnosis and does not replace individual assessment or advice from a qualified professional. For young people, results should be interpreted in context and discussed with a trusted adult or qualified professional when concerns are significant. Scores are influenced by how questions are understood and by the timeframe selected. If several items are marked N/A, the total may be lower and should be interpreted cautiously; individual responses may be more informative than the total score. If difficulties are severe, rapidly worsening, affecting basic functioning or creating safety concerns, seek appropriate professional or urgent support. External resources are provided for further reading and support only. They are operated by independent Australian or UK organisations and their inclusion does not imply endorsement of this Backing U tool.
I have noticed using vaping, alcohol or other substances more often than I planned.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Using vaping, alcohol or other substances more often than I planned has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Using vaping, alcohol or other substances more often than I planned has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of using vaping, alcohol or other substances more often than I planned.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
I have noticed feeling pressure from friends to use substances.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Feeling pressure from friends to use substances has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Feeling pressure from friends to use substances has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of feeling pressure from friends to use substances.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
I have noticed using substances to handle stress, anxiety, sadness or social discomfort.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Using substances to handle stress, anxiety, sadness or social discomfort has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Using substances to handle stress, anxiety, sadness or social discomfort has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of using substances to handle stress, anxiety, sadness or social discomfort.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
I have noticed hiding or minimising how much I use.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Hiding or minimising how much I use has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Hiding or minimising how much I use has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of hiding or minimising how much I use.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
I have noticed substance use affecting money, school, work, sport, relationships or health.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Substance use affecting money, school, work, sport, relationships or health has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Substance use affecting money, school, work, sport, relationships or health has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of substance use affecting money, school, work, sport, relationships or health.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied very strongly or almost all the time. There are no right or wrong answers. Use N/A only if the question genuinely does not fit your situation.
Keep or share a copy of your result
You can email a copy of this result to yourself. You can separately choose whether Backing U may receive an anonymous copy of your responses and result for quality improvement and research.
The Youth Substance Use & Vaping Risk Assessment is a Backing U educational wellbeing and self-reflection tool. It is not a validated diagnostic instrument, does not provide a clinical diagnosis and does not replace individual assessment or advice from a qualified professional. For young people, results should be interpreted in context and discussed with a trusted adult or qualified professional when concerns are significant. Scores are influenced by how questions are understood and by the timeframe selected. If several items are marked N/A, the total may be lower and should be interpreted cautiously; individual responses may be more informative than the total score. If difficulties are severe, rapidly worsening, affecting basic functioning or creating safety concerns, seek appropriate professional or urgent support. External resources are provided for further reading and support only. They are operated by independent Australian or UK organisations and their inclusion does not imply endorsement of this Backing U tool.