Drug Abuse Prevention

Parent-Child Communication Important to Fight Substance Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids on August 17th, 2011

In dealing with teens’ alcohol and drugs issues, parents and adults concerned can get a lot of information from the experts and professionals who encounter these problems regularly. Many times, though, it would be helpful for parents to hear ideas and suggestions straight from teens on how to avoid becoming victims of substance abuse.

parent teen talkA key factor in a teen’s decision to get involved with drugs or alcohol is peer pressure. It is therefore vital for teens to choose their friends who will lead them to the right direction. Teens spend a lot of time with friends and they will likely become influences to him. It would be best for parents to know their child’s friends and to meet them. Parents also need to listen to their kids when they talk about their friends.

To keep a teen’s mind off drugs and alcohol, it’s best to be busy most of the time. Teens should learn to participate in school activities, get involved in community projects, or join clubs and organizations which are geared towards self-development and appreciation. Parents must discuss with their children the healthy activities they are interested with, and support the choice of activities their children make.

Remember that as much as possible, parents and children should work together to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In the end, parents will carry the greater responsibility in making sure that kids are on the right track at all times.

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Why Self-Medicating Is Dangerous

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Addiction on August 16th, 2011

Today’s environment can be considered as one of the most stressful ever encountered by Americans. With the economic crisis and other national issues, people’s lives are greatly affected and stress becomes a heavy toll that breaks people down.

stressDid you know that the inability to deal with the stress could lead to psychological and emotional disorders that could drive a person to get into drug and alcohol abuse?  In a study done by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Canada, they found out that people who have anxiety disorder and are heavily stressed turn to one particularly dangerous habit: self-medication.

In the data collected from 34,653 US residents, 13% of the population made alcohol as their escape to a stressful life. A number of the participants self-medicated with drugs and alcohol, and in the long-run, they become addicted to these substances without even realizing their situation.

Dr. James Bolton who led the study from the University of Manitoba says that most people have the notion that self-medicating works. “What people do not realize is that this quick-fix method actually makes things worse in the long term. Serious consequences can develop very quickly. People can develop alcoholism and anxiety disorders within just three years, and these are illnesses that can have a devastating impact on a person’s health, their relationships, and their financial situation.”

Dealing with stress and anxiety is never easy, but it’s time for most people to understand that self-medicating isn’t an option. Contrary to what others say about drugs and alcohol being a help in their situation, these substances could only worsen their condition.

The best solution for stress, whether you’re a teen or an adult, is to seek help from professionals or counselors. Exercising and spending time with family and friends are also good ways to relax.

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Parental Denial Worsens Teen Substance Abuse Problems

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on August 14th, 2011

When parents confront their teenage kids about a possible substance abuse problem, kids can deny it. Be it drug abuse or binge drinking, teens may never admit they are indeed doing it, which leaves poor parents at lost. After a while, parents may themselves deny that their children are in any danger. They may, in the long run, ignore what is $happening, and only when it’s too late will parents realize they could’ve helped their kids.

parent discussing with teenAny type of substance abuse not only affects the child in trouble, but it has a chain effect on their families. Here are some reasons why parents who deny the situation put the kids on more dangerous grounds.

1. An alcohol or drug addiction that isn’t addressed at the soonest possible time could make a teen more dependent on the substances, making treatment more and more difficult in every day that passes.

2. As parents deny the problem, the problem gets worse. It is important for parents to get their child the right kind of treatment that will help him, and if rehab or detoxification processes be necessary, doctors can easily guide both parent and child to the right path.

3. The worse effect of being intoxicated is death. Kids who drink and drive can get themselves killed due to accidents.

4. Your teen could play around with alcohol and drugs. Mixing these substances and taking too much could easily result to accidental deaths or push their suicidal tendencies.

5. Early drinking and drug abuse situations often lead to more serious problems when teens become adults. Most adults who are into certain addictions often put the blame on their youth where everything started.

6. Teen substance abuse can affect performance in school. It could also put a toll on a teen’s relationships with family and friends.

7. Never consider it to be a normal occurrence when your child gets into drug or alcohol problems because, contrary to what most parents think, it is not a part of teenage life.

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Why Teen Substance Abuse Needs Immediate Action

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction on August 9th, 2011

Parents should never underestimate the effects of teen substance abuse. There are some who take the situation normally, telling themselves that it’s just a phase that every teen passes through. Most often than not, parents only act against their child’s substance abuse problem when everything is literally too late and treatment becomes a very challenging endeavor.

teen substance abuseWhen an uncontrolled substance abuse situation occurs, it can greatly affect a teen’s behavior. Drugs and other dangerous substances are capable of controlling certain areas of the brain which affects an individual’s motor skills. All important processes and activities in the brain gets messed up, and hormones that regulate pleasure, memory, and learning as well as a teen’s alertness, judgment, attention, and movements get all mixed up leading to behavioral abnormalities.

When a child is under a certain type of drug addiction, there are a lot of consequences he may face, such as the following:

a. A teen could endanger his life by engaging in risky behaviors. Drugs and alcohol can easily alter a person’s disposition, making them the leading causes of fatal vehicular accidents among teen drivers. Teenagers can also become violent and suicidal tendencies come out.

b. He or she may also get into complicated situations, such as having unwanted pregnancies or acquiring sexually-transmitted diseases.

c. A teenager will lose his focus and encounter difficulties in school, which could lead for one to drop out of it.

d. He could get into other types of drug addictions. Chances are he won’t be satisfied with just one drug and he will find something new every now and then. This could mean very dangerous conditions that will destroy his health, or worse, cause mental problems due to brain damage.

e. Legal complications may also arise from his addictions.

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Should Teen Smokers Be Sent to Rehab?

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids, Tobacco Abuse on August 8th, 2011

The Addiction and Substance Abuse arm of the Columbia University has released findings from their study which suggests that teen smoking is related to increasing substance abuse cases among teens. It was found out that teens who smoke are 13 times more likely to develop drug addiction problems and five times more likely to binge drink compared to those who are non-smokers.

teen smokingThe latest study shows that teens 12 to 17 years old who smoke have 26% more chances of becoming drug dependent while non-smokers only have a minimal 2% chance. These findings are quite alarming, as a parallelism can be observed in the data gathered on adults who are in drug rehab facilities. The numbers of drug addicts who are non-smokers are significantly much lower than those who are smokers.

The latest report also includes the increasing rates of heavy drinkers among the adolescent population and that marijuana ranks as the top drug choice of the youth. Again smoking relates to these statistics, with teen smokers 13 times more prone to marijuana use than non-smokers. What these results present is a grim picture of kids who smoke early will also develop other addictions which could lead to serious health conditions later on in their lives.

This is why some concerned groups are suggesting that drug treatment facilities should be offered to teens who smoke. Sure, no one has been into rehab just for smoking cigarettes, but what has been implied in the study should make parents and authorities open up to the idea. Kids who smoke and find it hard to quit should seek help before they go into more complicated situations.

If it means cutting the risks of teen drug abuse and alcohol addiction, then parents should welcome the idea of submitting their teen smokers to drug rehab facilities to give these kids the opportunity to let go of their dangerous habits.

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How to Keep Kids Away from Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids on August 4th, 2011

Many parents face the problem of keeping their kids off from drugs. Drug abuse is one of the biggest issues that families today face, and the saying “prevention is better than cure” still holds true on this matter.

drug-free kidsIt has been seen that involving in sports is one of the best ways to keep kids from drugs and alcohol. Being involved in a team gives your kids the sense of belonging where every member in the team expects nothing but the best from them. Coaches and mentors can motivate kids well to reach their full potential and achieve their goals, keeping their minds off from dangerous habits. Teams also have established rules of conduct which discourage kids to take on drugs or alcohol.

If your child isn’t the active type, you may encourage him to join different organizations or study arts and music. Your child should make the choice as to the group where he’d like to belong; don’t force him into something he’s not interested in. The group’s activities will keep your kids busy, and they won’t have time to experiment with drugs.

Finally, kids as young as 11 years old can be made to take on light jobs for a few hours a day. Whatever free time they have, encourage them to spend it wisely by having part-time jobs for kids. As they get into types of work that they enjoy, they also get paid allowing your kids to learn about the value of hard work. Even if they aren’t earning that much, the good work ethics that they can develop is something that will come in handy as they grow older.

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