TEENS AND DRUGS

The statistics are alarming. Teen drug abuse is and has been on the rise for many years. Consider the following numbers calculated in 2012:

• 8th grade -- 30.3%
• 10th grade -- 44.9%
• 12th grade -- 52.8%

Those numbers measure the percentage of teenagers who regularly use illegal drugs of some type. Just within the last month, 50 percent of teens report drinking alcohol with 37 percent saying they had been drunk on at least one occasion. Alcohol kills 5 times more teenagers than any other drug – mostly from accidents.

It’s scary to think that our young people are being exposed to drugs at a much earlier age, and they are much more susceptible to peer pressure. When their friends offer up drugs, they often don’t have the strength to say no, so they begin the frightening cycle of drug abuse.

In recent years, much has been learned about the health effects of teen drug use. Drugs are readily available to those who choose to use them in either an “experimental” way or to those who are chronic drug abusers. The consequence of such use, even causal use, can be devastating to both the user and to the user’s family members.

But, teen drug use is costly to more than just families. It is especially costly to our society as a whole. Youth’s immature physical, emotional, and psychological development make them MORE susceptible than adults to the harmful effects of drug abuse.

In the 7 years that the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University has published the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse, results have indicated that teens and their parents view drugs as their biggest concern.

The health effects of teen drug use can vary, depending on such factors as frequency of use, the kind of drug taken, how much is taken, how quickly it gets into the brain, what other drugs are taken at
the same time, the differences in body size and chemistry, the length of time the drugs are used, and other components.

Why do teens use drugs? Of course, peer pressure is a huge factor, but they succumb to peer pressure for many other reasons. Low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, inability to express feelings, lack of control, and feeling like they have to live up to unrealistic parental expectations all contribute to the teen beginning to use drugs. Plus, many teens are affected by watching their parents’ own addictive behaviors

Trying to deal with issues revolving around the family upon such an escalated level proves extremely difficult when children of alcoholic parents cannot even function normally regarding their own lives. This situation often spawns a codependency syndrome that follows the child throughout his or her entire life; codependency has long been found to be a significant indicator of alcoholism

And, believe it or not, parents who overindulge their children may be dealing with a teenager drug user before they know it. Many parents spoil their children not only with toys and gadgets but also by not setting limits for them. That freedom leads them to make bad decisions about their lives which includes drug and alcohol use.

So how do you know if your teen is using drugs? There are some warning signs you should be looking for. When at home, see if any of these warning signs appear:

• loss of interest in family activities
• disrespect for family rules
• withdrawal from responsibilities
• verbally or physically abusive
• sudden increase or decrease in appetite
• disappearance of valuable items or money
• not coming home on time
• not telling you where they are going
• constant excuses for behavior
• spending a lot of time in their rooms
• lies about activities
• finding the following: cigarette rolling papers, pipes, roach clips, small glass vials, plastic baggies, remnants of drugs (seeds, etc.)

When it comes to school, there are also some indicators to watch for:

• sudden drop in grades
• truancy
• loss of interest in learning
• sleeping in class
• poor work performance
• not doing homework
• defiant of authority
• poor attitude towards sports or other extracurricular activities
• reduced memory and attention span
• not informing you of teacher meetings, open houses, etc.

Physically and emotionally, they may have one of the following behaviors:

• changes friends
• smell of alcohol or marijuana on breath or body
• unexplainable mood swings and behavior
• negative, argumentative, paranoid or confused, destructive, anxious
• over-reacts to criticism acts rebellious
• sharing few if any of their personal problems
• doesn't seem as happy as they used to be
• overly tired or hyperactive
• drastic weight loss or gain
• unhappy and depressed
• cheats, steals
• always needs money, or has excessive amounts of money
• sloppiness in appearance

If your teen exhibits six or more of these signs over a period of a few weeks, he or she probably is using drugs. You need to address it as soon as you suspect this to be true.

The most effective tool against teen drug use is communication. When you pair open communication with education, you have double the ammunition to fight drug use.

Your first inclination might be to get angry when you find out your teen is using drugs. This a normal reaction, but please know that anger and yelling will just turn your teen’s ears to the “off” position. You need to let your teen know you care about them and that you just want the best for them.

You must place responsibility for their actions on their own shoulders and make them accountable without doing so in a threatening manner. Honest, open communication is the key towards overcoming your teen’s problem – even before it becomes a problem.

Move on to the future and find things that you can do right now to help your teen. Try not to live in past; this will make the person you are trying to help agitated or upset. With addiction comes a lot of damage; material and emotional. In the wake of the episodes that the addict can create, remember that you are not alone. There are people around you that care. Those that have been and are in the trenches of this disease can help the addict when no one else can.

Counseling is a very effective way to help curb your teen’s drug use. By allowing your child to interact with a third party you will find that recovery often goes better, because often times the family is too emotionally close to the addict to be of any real help.

Please realize that you are the parents and you are not responsible for the disease of addiction. Get help before it is too late. Remember that this disease does not discriminate against anyone or anything.

No single treatment is appropriate for all teens which is why there are many places your teen can get help. Look for local programs geared towards teens and find a peer counselor who your teen can talk to. Teens relate to other teens and young people, so finding someone close to their own age can be very effective.

Match the treatment with the individual. If your teen’s drug use has gotten completely out of hand, you may want to look at an inpatient clinic. But try to find a clinic where other teens are being treated as well. If you send them to a program that has only adults in it, their chances of relapse are higher.

If you do put your teen in a treatment facility, be sure you participate in all of the activities that are asked of you. This is the perfect time for your teen to talk to you in a safe environment with a moderator. They are more likely to open up and say what they need to say in the clinic rather than at home.

Just as with adults, relapse is a very real possibility, neigh, a probability. Teens are going to be thrust back into the environment that they were in when they were users, so keep in mind that drug addiction is a very powerful mental disease and relapses are very likely to occur.

This is where patience and understanding come in. Talk with your teen and get them help and counseling to understand why they went back to drugs. When you tackle the psychological part of drug abuse, you have a better chance of helping your teen become drug free
.
It’s also important for you to educate your child BEFORE drug use becomes a problem. Again, we say, communicate openly and honestly with your child and arm them with as much information as you can possibly find. There has been a push to get drug information in the schools, but don’t leave it all up to them.

You are your child’s best defense against drugs. While they may be uncomfortable when you present them with information, they’ll thank you later in life. It’s kind of like having “the sex talk” – it’s awkward for both of you, but it’s something that is necessary.


Teach them how to say no without feeling guilty. Show them that they are a valued and loved person and that they have the right to refuse something that is not good for them. Tell them the types of people to avoid and the things they can say if they are offered drugs or find themselves in a compromising situation.

As a parent, you will need your own support to deal with this difficult situation. There are two great organizations that are there to help parents of drug addicted teens.


They are:
www.becauseiloveyou.org and www.familiesanonymous.org

Both of these organizations have a multitude of information on their websites. They provide you with tools to help attack the problem and deal with your own mental health as well as that of your child. Families Anonymous is also very helpful with anyone who has a loved one who is addicted to drugs.

Support groups can be very powerful in helping you remain strong for your child. They can then draw off that strength and remain drug-free. You are your child’s best weapon against the things out there in the world that want to harm them. Don’t let them down.