Teen Drug Abuse
September 13th 2007 04:03 pm
Teenagers value what their friends think, and they crave a sense of social belonging. Parents play an important role in shaping their teens’ outlook on the world, their self-confidence and their likelihood to fall into drug abuse. A recent survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse showed that the number one reason teens said they turn down offers to do drugs is that they don’t want to disappoint their parents.
Let kids know not only your expectations of them, but the possible repercussions of drug abuse. Don’t talk only about the punishment they will face, but also about the damage drug abuse causes to the body, mind, relationships, emotional state and life in general. Teens tend to respect someone who talks bluntly with them. It may mean facing difficult questions regarding the parents’ potential drug abuse in their life history. However, honest answers about the parents’ past choices and repercussions can paint a stark picture for teens of the dangers of drug abuse.
The good news is that alcohol and cigarette use among teens has declined slightly within the last couple years, as has methamphetamine and heroin abuse. Use of marijuana, the illegal drug most commonly abused by teens, fell dramatically within the last couple years. While abuse of the prescription drug Oxycontin fell slightly among seniors in high school, abuse of the drug among eighth-graders has more than doubled. Hallucinogens and ecstasy are both very popular drugs among this age group.
