Archive for January, 2010

Drug Testing Your Teens at Home

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids on January 19th, 2010

Drug testing your children at home may seem too extreme an act for most parents, but it actually is a process that helps you deal with them in a lot of ways. While it may initially imply that you’re a controlling parent, this is also a simple way of showing concern for the safety of your children. Although the prospect of knowing that your teenager is into drugs may be a tough pill to swallow, it is better to know earlier than later.

Drug TestOf course, drug testing does not have to be something to be dreaded. Explain the reason why you need to test your child – that it is done mainly out of love and concern for his/her safety and well-being. While it may be cumbersome at first, convincing your child to undergo testing is key to securing his/her drug-free lifestyle.

Another advantage of drug testing at home is that your teen would think twice before dealing with drugs. After all, no one in the right mind would want to get caught doing drugs, much less by the parents. This also gives them a strong excuse to give to their peers.

Have courage in drug testing your children. Remember that their usage is a result of many factors, and that it does not necessarily stem from your lack of ability as a parent. This is merely a tool to determine your children’s state, and in this case, the sooner you find out about it, the better. You can help them avoid drug addiction by doing this, and this is something that is worth the pain of finding out about his/her drug habit.

1 Comment

Keep Alert on the Early Signs of Teen Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on January 18th, 2010

You can’t blame your teen too much for wanting to try drugs at some point in his life. Doing drugs has become sort of a social thing these days, and the best way to help your teen avoid drugs is to discover the signs of addiction before he goes in too deep with drugs.

teen drug abuseYou may find your teen displaying signs of erratic behavior, especially during the first few months of drug use. He may seem more secretive than usual, demanding privacy over the littlest of things. He may tend to go to more secluded places, and may lock himself in a room for an indefinite period of time for apparently no reason at all.

The next sign you have to watch out for is his physical appearance. While drugs may not have a direct impact on one’s grooming, he may start showing signs of caring less for his appearance and more for his craving and addiction. He may start to bathe less than usual.

He may also start to become more and more aggressive as time passes by. This can be the result of prolonged withdrawal from drugs, and he may become violent as the craving intensifies. If any of these signs occur, immediately confirm your teen’s condition by having them go through a drug test. If the results show positive, then it may be time to seek professional help and treatment.

Be vigilant in recognizing the signs of teen drug abuse. Help him end it early and save his life.

7 Comments

Peer Pressure and Teenage Alcohol Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on January 17th, 2010

To say it’s easy to raise a child is to deny that parenthood is a huge responsibility. Definitely, it could take a parent his whole life to bring up another human being with the highest ideals.  The job is even made more difficult as the child enters into adolescence when external influences could be most powerful and damaging. One of such influences a parent should always be on guard against is that towards teenage alcohol abuse.

alcohol abuseDue to the physical and physiological changes they undergo during adolescence, teenagers tend to be impulsive and easily excited by things around them, especially those that make them feel closer to what they misconceive to be important in shaping their identity.  Of course, peers are always a part of every teenager’s quest for self-identity. Unfortunately, not everyone that our teens meet is a good influence. Teenagers are particularly at risk of being influenced into alcohol abuse and every concerned parent must never take the possibilities for granted.

The goal of parents then must be to raise teenagers who can take care of themselves when faced with unhealthy peer influences. However, it is as important to recognize the fact that children these days no longer follow orders without reasons.

In other words, when educating teenagers about the dangers of alcohol abuse, it is necessary to patiently and objectively present the entire picture. The world has become an increasingly unsafe place, but with responsible adults never letting their guards down in protecting their children, it can remain as a wonderful place for our children.

7 Comments

Raising Your Children Away From Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on January 16th, 2010

In today’s society, there are many things that parents wish their children would never learn.  One of these is drugs. It can’t be denied that the problem of drugs has damaged too many young lives. Life is not going to be kind to teenage drug addicts, and as with any other ill, social or physical, the best remedy is prevention.

drug abuseParenting is and will always be the main issue when it comes to saving kids from drugs. When parents are able to do this successfully, there is little chance that a child would wander off from the safety of the family. Of course, this is not something that may be done overnight. It is going to be a commitment that begins the moment the child is born. And the trick is to raise this child not to have the slightest reasons for wandering off to dangerous paths such as drugs.

First thing that parents can do is to respect their child and raise him with self-respect. When an individual feels he has dignity, he will treat himself with dignity and stay away from things that cause him to lose it. This is very important to someone who is young and just learning to play the ropes of life.

The second thing parents can do is spend quality time with their children. This is another key to preventing teenage drug abuse and its importance just cannot be stressed enough.  When parents go out of their way to bond with the family, they are responding to the children’s natural need for love and acceptance. But when everybody is too busy, this need will naturally be addressed elsewhere.  This is the point that when they begin to find comfort in the company of people who may not be good influences.

There are many other things parents can do to save their children from the drug menace, but all efforts should only lead to parenthood that is based on respect, love, acceptance, discipline and responsibility. A healthy balance of these can work wonders in saving a child from drug addiction.

1 Comment

Health Effects of Teenage Smoking

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on January 15th, 2010

It is common for teenagers to explore many things and be eternally curious.  While this type of behavior is perfectly normal, smoking is one of the most dangerous paths they can take.  The social effects alone can be damaging, but the more serious risks a teenage smoker faces are those related to health.

smoking teensMany studies have been conducted on teenage smoking and results have been the least promising.  Heart disease is one of the more serious risks due to teenage body’s continued exposure to nicotine.  This is because the gases produced tend to weaken the heart muscle and cause plaque buildups in the arteries.  Respiratory disease is another, asthma and pneumonia being the most commonly reported.   Smoking in teens also increases the risk of stunted bone growth which means teen smokers might grow up to be shorter adults than their nonsmoking friends.

Other common effects of teenage smoking include infertility both for girls and boys, dry skin and a weakening of the immune system. Because of their young age, kids’ antibodies are fairly underdeveloped and are, thus, very sensitive to hazardous elements such as nicotine.  This becomes a problem when these antibodies remain immature even as the person ages, causing reduced capability to ward off infections. The individual then ends up falling ill more frequently and sometimes more seriously than others.

Halitosis or bad breath might be one of the more taken for granted risks but experts regard it with importance as it may escalate into an oral cancer symptom. While there are no conclusive studies proving this link, it is not necessary to wait.

When it comes to their health, some teenagers can be quite reckless.  Parents can explore devoting a few minutes of their time educating their children about the health hazards of smoking from an early age.  When reinforced by schools, there is a better chance of channeling these kids’ attention away from this habit that has claimed one too many lives.

No Comments

Parent’s Role in Curbing Teen Alcohol Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on January 14th, 2010

If you often find it hard to understand your teenager, this is probably the time when you need to be patient the most.  That’s because at this stage, your child will likely explore the most exciting paths he will ever come across with.

teen alcohol abuseAs a teenager, your child will naturally seek and even crave acceptance among his peers. A lot of kids put high value on being accepted by friends and society rather than think what is best for them no matter the costs. For example, classmates who stay home on Friday evenings doing their Math project may be branded as “nerds” while those who hang out with friends for some party time and alcohol drinking are considered “cool”.

Of course, as a parent, you need to realize that teenagers will have their own way of understanding alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse.  For this reason, it is important for you not only to tell your children to avoid alcohol, but also to carefully explain why.  You need to put value on their interpretation of things in order for them to appreciate what you have to teach them.

Parents often make the mistake of being too authoritative with their children, but children these days are smart enough to think on their own, and they usually don’t simply follow orders just because you said so.

Many things have contrived to make today’s young people very susceptible to misinterpreting the things around them. So, it is of extreme importance that parents painstakingly explain to their children the risks and the pressures as well as instill the right attitudes.

2 Comments