Thousands of teens experiment with illicit drugs and because they are too young to buy alcohol and cigarettes, it is considered drug abuse. Many of the kids who experiment with illicit drugs and prescription drugs will continue to experiment, but there are still a number of children who will let it get out of control, and it will begin to take over their day to day lives. Parents need to talk with their kids about drug and alcohol use. If they notice their children taking drugs, parents need to set strict rules to keep their children from taking it any further. Teens that have become addicted need extra medical help to quit their drug abuse.
The Most Common Drugs
-Alcohol
-Cocaine
-Crystal meth
-Ecstasy
-Heroin
-Inhalants
-Marijuana
-Over the counter drugs (cough suppressants)
-OxyContin
What are the Signs That Your Teen Is Taking Drugs?
Recognizing signs of drug abuse is important as a parent. If drug use is not controlled, it could develop into drug abuse and could cost your teen their life. Look for:
-new smells: certain drugs and alcohol have distinct smells, so be sure to notice different smells
-changes in behavior and personality: take notice if your teen is quick to lie, or gets angry easily or if their mood changes quickly throughout the day
-changes in interests or hobbies: if your child decides not to participate in activities that used to take up so much of their time, start trying to find out why
-change in friends: this is a big sign that your teen is abusing drugs, a complete change in friends with different likes and dislikes than their usual friends should be investigated
How Can You Help Your Teen?
Parents need to know that there is a high risk of their child abusing drugs. About 15 percent of high school seniors abuse prescription drugs and 32 percent are using marijuana. To help stop addiction parents need to take action as soon as possible. Depending on the level of drug abuse by your child should determine the level of consequences that are given to them.
If the teen has used drugs once or twice, a stricter boundary should be given to help them from going any further. If they are using drugs heavily, drug tests could be given, and if your teen is addicted then medical help is needed. As a parent, it is vital to follow through with the consequences because if your teen does not think that you are serious, they won’t see a need to quit. My hope is that you are more equipped after reading this article on how to protect your child from using drugs.
Victoria K. blogs on the topic of teen drug use, and writes about drug testing including alcohol tests.
B. Jones covers a lot of topics when he writes, and one of them is the dangers of alcohol.