Teenagers And Drugs

When Should You Talk To Your Children About Drugs And Alcohol?

Teenagers And Drugs By Debbie Parkinson

teenager on drugs As parents, we are constantly being bombarded with chatter telling us just how horrible the drug and alcohol problems have become among our nation's young people. And as parents we begin to wonder at what age we have that talk with our children concerning this epidemic along with the dangerous consequences of drug and alcohol abuse on their lives.

How young is too young? You wonder whether your children will understand. How old is too old? You may wonder whether your children have already heard it all before. But you need to remind yourself that never having that conversation may have the worse consequences of all. You certainly want to have that conversation before your kids start experimenting and certainly immediately if they already have.

How young is too young? Researchers certainly don't feel that it is ever too early to begin educating your children on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. You would certainly tailor your conversation to a 3 year old a bit differently than you would a 13 year old of course.

The key here is to begin the dialog that allows them to know that first of all you care. It can never be too early and it certainly can never be too late.

You may not feel that your children listen to you most of the times but the consistent, persistent expressing of yourself about your feelings concerning the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse will eventually sink in. Perhaps you can share with your teen, articles from the newspaper showing the results of substance abuse such as auto accidents related to alcohol or police arrests for drug use and possession.

Although this might be a bit much for a 3 year old for instance, drawing pictures depicting people putting bad things into their bodies and the resulting consequences is a good place to start.

Again for the older kids, you might want to research the "D.A.R.E." program or even the "M.A.D.D." program. Another great resource is the "DrugFree" program. Just type those 3 words into your search engine such as Google or Yahoo. You will find some great info on these websites to help you with your conversational strategy.

I truly believe that your strategy here should be to talk. Talk to them when they're young and talk to them when they get to the age that you might feel they don't care what you have to say. The important thing here is that they know that you care and also that you are aware and alert.

About the Author

Debbie Parkinson is a free lance writer researching and writing on various topics. Debbie's passions are health and pets. If you love physical fitness training outdoors as I do, learn more about these super cool training aids, the Garmin GPS Watch and the Garmin Forerunner Watch.

One of the biggest problems we face as parents is teenagers and drugs and teenagers and alcohol. Learn the signs and learn how to communicate with your teens. It is possible to keep them drug and alcohol free, it really is. Debbie has more to say about the affects of alcohol on our children.

More About Teenagers And Drugs

How Alcohol Adversely Affects Children and What You Can Do About It by Debbie Parkinson

a drunk teenager When we think of alcohol abuse, we quite naturally associate this abuse with an adult. We may all have an adult friend, family member, co-worker, or acquaintance that may be suffering with an alcohol abuse problem.

But have you ever considered the possibility that children or teenagers within your sphere of associations may be struggling with alcohol dependence as well. Have you ever considered the possibility that these children or teens may be someone close to you or even one of your own?

Research has shown us that children who begin drinking alcohol at a young age tend to develop alcohol dependence and addiction problems at a rate which is four times greater than those who begin using alcohol as an adult. As is obvious, there are many acute and chronic health problems on the other end of alcohol abuse in children.

Just by virtue of not having brains that are quite fully developed coupled with the lack of experience in many areas of life, children and teenagers have not yet developed the ability to make sound discernments that adults have the ability to make. Couple these developmental facts of life with the effects of alcohol on the brain and we oftentimes have a recipe for disaster.

We as adults know full well just how alcohol tends to alter our perceptions of the world around us. Well, take a teen's brain on alcohol and multiply that by a factor of ten. The results very often lead to extreme risk taking that may have disastrous physical or emotional consequences.

The use of alcohol at a young age can also have serious adverse effects on a child's ability to learn. Young brains are in a critical developmental stage at this period in life and the use of alcohol during this crucial juncture can result in acute as well as chronic learning disabilities. Other health problems resulting from alcohol abuse in children are diabetes as well as liver problems such as cirrhosis.

Alcohol abuse can be dangerous enough when started as an adult, but when begun as a child, the long term effects can be disastrous. Certainly there isn't a parent in the world that wants to consider the fact that their child may have a problem with alcohol. As with adults, denial is the first stage we go through.

However, identifying an addiction problem in a child is the first step on the road to helping free that child from a life filled with heart ache. If you suspect your child is struggling with alcohol abuse issues, avail yourself of the facts and arm yourself with a game plan. A good place to start is your local AA.

How do you deal with teenagers and drugs?

Debbie has given us a lot to think about on this page. Have you talked to your teens about drugs and alcohol? Before you can do that, you first have to be able to talk to them, I mean really talk to them. Your child needs to know they can talk to you about anything, at anytime, just like they do their best friends. Only when your kids are comfortable talking to you will you ever begin to effectively communicate about drugs and alcohol.

If you correct them or solve their problems every time they open their mouths you are going to be the last person they want to talk to about the hard stuff. You need to learn the art of listening more than you talk, praising and encouraging far more than you correct them and argue with them. You need to pick your battles very wisely.

You may not like some of her friends, they may dress funny, talk funny and smell funny. They may play lousy music louder than you wish to hear it and say things you wish they wouldn't. But if they are doing this in your house, with you smiling and being friendly and accepting, you just might be amazed at how open all of them become, including your own child. How far are you willing to go to gain your child's trust, as well as the trust of their friends? A combination of this trust, friendship and love is needed to talk about things like drugs, sex and alcohol with a teenager. Otherwise you might as well be talking to the wall.

If you feel like you are talking to the wall with no lines of communication open the next article might be for you. Drug testing my kids is nothing I have ever felt the need to do. What if I had felt the need, well, you decide what's right for you.

You might also benefit from learning all the different was you could be connecting with your teenager.

Parents, Should You Home Drug Test Your Teens ? by Henry Harvey

teen on drugs Why Home Test for Drug Use?

At one time, the only way to drug test a teen was to bring the teen to a medical facility and have the test performed. Today, this is no longer necessary as there are scores of home testing kits that can accurately deliver the proper results for those curious as to whether or not a teen may be using drugs. However, some parents may wonder why home test? Is this not an invasion of privacy? Would it not break down the trust between parent and child? Here is the most basic and simple of answers to the question of why home test: it may save your child's life.

Some may look at the signs of drug use and pay little concern to them. They may assume drug use is a minor phase or not as difficult of a problem. Then, others may not truly be able to recognize the signs of drug use and may be completely unsure as to whether or not the teen is on a controlled substance. The key point many parents need to understand is that they need to be absolutely sure as to whether or not a teen is on drugs. This way, they can take the next necessary steps to dealing with the situation. And remember, properly dealing with the situation may greatly help safeguard the teen's health and wellness.

A teen - or an adult for that matter - that is impaired with chemical substances represents a safety risk to himself and others. This is because motor skills and cognition can be severely hampered when one is under the influence of a controlled substance. And it is certainly never a good idea for anyone to be in a position where they can do harm to himself or others. As such, it becomes important to identify the signs of drug use and take appropriate steps to deal with the situation.

The longer a teen used drugs, the harder it will be for the teen to quit drugs later in life. That is why it is important to take the steps to stop the addictions or behavior as soon as possible. The more time the teen uses drugs the more deep and ingrained the addiction might become. That means the ability to reverse the problems will be certainly more problematic. Also, the damage that can be done to mind and body will be magnified as more time goes on. So, why home test? To stop the problem at the earliest possible point would be one of the very best reasons.

Some may wonder if home drug tests are reliable. This is a fair and wise concern to have since unreliable tests will certainly not deliver the needed results. For those with such concerns, here is some excellent news: there are numerous reliable home drug tests that will deliver complete and accurate results. So, why home test? Because the tests do work!

Still More About Teenagers And Drugs

10 Signs That Your Teen Is Using Drugs by Nicole Brownfield

Did you know that over 75% of teens aged 16-17 report that obtaining marijuana is “easy or fairly easy?” Or that 25% of youths between 12 and 17 say the same of crack? When children start using drugs they usually exhibit many different signs that parents need to watch out for. Unfortunately, many parents often write-off these signs as normal adolescent behavior and as a result they don't realize that their child is into drugs until it is too late.

How can you, as a parent, know for sure whether or not your child is in danger of falling into drugs? Know that every child is in danger of this. Parents who fail to recognize this will stay in this state of denial till their son or daughter is arrested or overdoses -- and by then it is too late.

So what should you as parents be looking for as signs that your child is experimenting with drugs or alcohol?

Dramatic changes in attitude or personality.
New friends who may exert peer pressure on your child.
Problems at school, such as falling grades or increased tardiness.
Increased withdrawal, depression, or secretiveness.
Changes in sleep patterns.
Increased or decreased appetite.
Dilated, red, or glossy eyes.
Escalating verbal or physical abuse.
Dramatic mood swings.
Need for additional money.

Drug use can lead to a host of significant health, social, learning and behavioral problems at a crucial time in a young person’s development. Getting high also impairs judgment, leading to risky decision making on issues like sex, criminal activity or riding with someone who is driving high. If you believe that your child may be using alcohol or drugs, don’t overreact. Some of the warning signs listed above may be normal for your teen and some signs may have other causes. One cannot ignore the reality of teenage drug and alcohol abuse, however, so the presence of three or more of these warning signs should prompt a discussion with your teen and an evaluation of whether professional help is needed. For more advice, or to locate the right treatment facility for you, contact your pediatrician or call the Center for Substance Abuse Referral Help line at 1-800-662-HELP.

By Nicole Brownfield

Thanks Nicole for all that information about teenagers and drugs.

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