Is your son or daughter taking drugs? Not sure? Are you a teen looking for more accurate information? Well... read on.
My son once told me he could get anything, meaning any drug, at his high school and this is in Irvine, California which is known for good quality, safe, and academic schools. Another teen told me that private Catholic schools actually have more drugs than inner city schools. And, he knew because he had been to both. And a third teen told me made more connections in rehab than he ever had before going in. Drugs are ubiquitous. Drugs are everywhere.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a very reliable government agency, the most commonly used substances by teens are alcohol and marijuana. Pills, ADHD medications like adderall, cocaine, inhalants, ecstasy, meth, heroine, and hallucinogenics are all problematic, too. Because these drugs are so widely used it is important to recognize their effects. In a series of posts, I plan to focus on these substances, how they work, the risks involved, and what to do.
Teens take drugs for a lot of different reasons. They take drugs to be cool, to fit in, to experiment, to explore, to relax, to socialize, and because they like them. Given that drugs are everywhere to expect a teen to "just say no" is unrealistic. What is realistic is to understand how substances work, their dangers, how to assess the seriousness of usage, and some tools for dealing with substance abuse.
Almost every teenager has lost a friend to drugs. Last year, a kid in our community played a prank on another kid. He gave him an extra large dose of ecstasy. Then, they went swimming in a lake and the one who took the E drowned. He was a good kid, an innocent kid, and the death was accidental. But, still a tragedy. When I was in high school, my boyfriend got drunk, drove off a cliff, and died. These tragedies are heartbreaking and can be avoided.
Good parenting and trusting relationships start early in life but there are some simple things teens and parents can do. First, teens: try talking to your parents and if you can't talk to your own parents, try a friend's parent. Parents: be available and listen. Know your childrens' friends. And when your teens are going out ask them the big three questions: where are you going? Who are you going with? And when will you be home? A college student once overheard me asking my son these questions over the phone and she said to me, "I would have stayed out of a lot of trouble if my parents had just asked me those 3 questions."
Finally, experimenting with a beer or two is unlikely to kill a teenager but some things are deadly. Mixing alcohol and pills can kill you. And, substances impair judgment. They alter perceptions. People think they are thinking clearly and they are not. No one under any circumstances should ever drive under the influence. The best way to avoid this is to have a designated driver among friends, or to let your child know you will pick them up any time and any place with no questions.
Drugs are everywhere. They can't be avoided. But education and awareness can help prevent senseless tragedies. In a series of posts, I will go into more depth on alcohol, marijuana, pills, and other substances.
