For Parents: Helpful Tips Regarding Drug and Alcohol Use in Adolescents
What Should I Do if I Suspect My Child is on Drugs?
Take Action! Remember, if your child is using drugs, he/she needs your help. Don't be afraid to be a strong parent! If the problem becomes too much for you to handle alone, don't hesitate to seek professional help, such as counseling, a support group or a treatment program.
If you suspect that your child may be using alcohol or drugs, share your concerns with your child.
Choose a time when there will be no interruptions. Do not discuss when your child is high. Share the list of warning signs with your child and express your concerns. Explain why you are opposed to any drug use and how you intend to enforce that position.
Do not be misled by:
"I've only tried it once"
"It's not mine; I was just holding it for a friend."
"Everyone is doing it."
"It's only a little pot."
"I've quit."
If your child is using drugs, he or she needs your help. Be understanding, firm and supportive. Try not to be accusatory, sarcastic or self-blaming. Taking the time to discuss the problem openly is an important first step. It shows that your child’s well-being is important to you and that you still love him or her, although you hate what is taking place.
Remember, drug abuse occurs in families of all economic and social backgrounds – in happy and unhappy homes alike. The faster you act, the sooner your child can start to become well again.
BE AWARE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE AND SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE CHEMICALS IN DRUGS.
UNDERSTAND THAT EXPERIMENTATION WITH DRUGS/ALCOHOL MAY PROGRESS FROM CASUAL USE, TO HEAVIER USE, AND FINALLY TO DEPENDENCY.
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP IMMEDIATELY IF YOUR CHILD:
STEALS
RUNS AWAY FROM HOME
SHOWS VIOLENT BEHAVIOR
THREATENS OR ATTEMPTS SUICIDE
What Can I Do to Prevent My Children from Using Drugs?
Prevention has been viewed as a school responsibility, disregarding the fact that parents, peers, the community and media have important roles to play.
Parents may underestimate the importance of their influence on their children's decisions about drugs. In fact, parents play a crucial part in prevention by setting boundaries and expectations, staying involved and engaging in their children's lives, and setting a positive example. The protective factors that may reduce the risk of drug and alcohol involvement are:
- Strong bonds with family
- Parental involvement
- Clear expectations and consequences
- Positive involvement with social institutions (faith-based organizations, school, community)
- Success in school performance
- Perceived external disapproval of drug use
Talk to your kids about drugs
Talk to your child early on about the dangers of drug abuse. Children are exposed to drug and alcohol topics daily, through TV commercials, advertisements and the daily news.
You can tell your kids to say no...even if you didn't
Many times parents who experimented with marijuana and other drugs in their youth believe that it would be hypocritical if they told their children not to try it.
The decision to tell your children about your own drug use is a personal one; however, parents can tell their kids that much more is known today about the serious health and social consequences of using marijuana and other drugs.
Help your kids turn down drugs:
- Kids do not usually get drugs from strangers; they get drugs from their friends.
- Teach kids that it is OK to say no to their friends.
- Encourage your child to avoid friendships with kids who use drugs.
- Help your child say "NO" when offered drugs or Alcohol.
The Importance of Family Time
Getting involved with your child will help you stay connected and ultimately help your child make better decisions. Here are some ways that you can stay involved:Family Dinners
Research has consistently shown that the more often young people sit down at the dinner table with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use illegal drugs.
Teens who eat dinner with their parents twice a week or less are four times more likely to smoke cigarettes, three times more likely to smoke marijuana, and nearly twice as likely to drink as those who eat dinner with their parents six or seven times a week.
Teens from families that almost never eat dinner together are 72 percent likelier than the average teen to use cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs, while those from families that almost always eat dinner together are 31 percent less likely than the average teen to engage in these activities.
Other research has shown that teens who eat frequent family dinners are less likely than other teens to have sex at young ages and get into fights, are at lower risk for thoughts of suicide, and are likelier to do better in school. This is true regardless of a teen’s gender, family structure or family socioeconomic level.
Teens who have frequent family dinners are more likely to be emotionally content, work hard at school and have positive peer relationships. Children and teens who have frequent family dinners also have healthier eating habits.
Make time for you and your child
Plan the date and hold yourself to it!
Praise your child when he has done something good
Too often we are focused on the bad things our kids do. Encourage the good behavior.
Thank your child
It can be for a simple task or a large accomplishment. It shows that you have taken the time to acknowledge them.
Set rules and boundaries
Every child needs boundaries. In order to avoid confusion, create rules that you will enforce.
Give your child responsibilities
Assign chores that help the family. Assigning a chore will imply that you are confident that your child will perform responsibly and more adult like, building trust and confidence.
A Note on the 'net
Just as you monitor where your teens go and with whom they spend their time, you also should monitor their digital activities. Your teen's browsing history, social networking page (such as myspace.com), or their e-mail files (as a minor, your child’s privacy is at your discretion), may reveal clues as to whether or not your child is receptive to or using drugs or alcohol.
Source: http://www.nopetaskforce.org/info_parents.asp
How Can I Keep My Child from Abusing Prescription Medications?
Safeguard all drugs at home. Monitor quantities and control access.
Take note of how many pills are in a bottle or pill packet, and keep track of refills. This goes for your own medication, as well as for your teen and other members of your household.
If you find you have to refill medication more often than expected, there could be a real problem — someone may be taking your medication without your knowledge.
If your teen has been prescribed a drug, be sure you control the medication, and monitor dosages and refills.
Set clear rules for teens about all drug use, including not sharing medicine and always following the medical provider's advice and dosages.
Make sure your teen uses prescription drugs only as directed by a medical provider and follows instructions for over-the-counter (OTC) products carefully. This includes taking the proper dosage and not using with other substances without a medical provider's approval.
Teens should never take prescription or OTC drugs with street drugs or alcohol. If you have any questions about how to take a drug, call your family physician or pharmacist.
Be a good role model by following these same rules with your own medicines.
Examine your own behavior to ensure you set a good example. If you misuse your prescription drugs, such as share them with your kids, or abuse them, your teen will take notice. Avoid sharing your drugs and always follow your medical provider's instructions.
Properly conceal and dispose of old or unused medicines in the trash.
Unused prescription drugs should be hidden and thrown away in the trash. So that teens or others don't take them out of the trash, you can mix them with an undesirable substance (like used coffee grounds or kitty litter) and put the mixture in an empty can or bag.
Unless the directions say otherwise, do NOT flush medications down the drain or toilet because the chemicals can pollute the water supply. Also, remove any personal, identifiable information from prescription bottles or pill packages before you throw them away.
Ask friends and family to safeguard their prescription drugs as well.
Make sure your friends and relatives, especially grandparents, know about the risks, too, and encourage them to regularly monitor their own medicine cabinets. If there are other households your teen has access to, talk to those families as well about the importance of safeguarding medications.
If you don't know the parents of your child's friends, then make an effort to get to know them, and get on the same page about rules and expectations for use of all drugs, including alcohol and illicit drugs.
Follow up with your teen's school administration to find out what it is doing to address issues of prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse in schools.
Source: http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/prescription_what_can_you_do.asp
Additional resources:
www.nopetaskforce.org
www.theantidrug.com
www.drugfree.org
