Substance Use

Cigarettes and Alcohol

• Talk to your child about cigarettes and alcohol. Give him factual information on the ingredients, effects, and dangers of these substances. Knowledge is power.
• Share your own beliefs and choices regarding substance use. Act as a role model, but be prepared for your teen to make his own decisions and develop his own values.
• Give your teen the skills to make good decisions, stick to her own values, and turn down cigarettes and alcohol.
• Quite likely your child will experiment with both cigarettes and alcohol. Before she does, talk about balance and choice. Empower her to make good decisions. If she does try smoking or drinking, talk calmly with her about her actions. It’s especially important to keep communication open.
• Work with your teen to make reasonable rules about cigarette and alcohol use. In the interest of staying connected with your teen, you may have to make compromises you don’t like. (Smoking is allowed, but only outside the house. You can go to a party where there will be alcohol, but you must take a cab home.) It may be a good idea for you and your teen to sign a contract, promising that he will always call for a ride home if he has been drinking and you will always pick him up, without judgment. Enforce consequences if your rules or contracts are broken.

Drugs

• Make sure you and your teen are well-informed about the ingredients, effects, dangers, and legal consequences involved in using drugs like marijuana, LSD, methamphetamines, Ecstasy, etc. Find out what they look like and what teens and dealers call them. Talk about why people use them. Again, knowledge is power.
• Give your teen the skills to make good decisions, stick to her own values, and turn down drugs.
• Many teenagers experiment with illegal or prescription drugs. Using illegal drugs poses serious health, safety, and legal risks your teen may have trouble comprehending. Make these clear. Talk to your child about healthy choices and discuss substance use vs. substance abuse.
• Make your values and rules about drug use clear but be prepared for your teen to make choices you may disagree with. Make sure she knows the consequences if rules are broken and enforce these consequences.

If your teen is using drugs:

• Avoid reacting emotionally. Try not to judge or threaten your child. Wait until you are calm and he is sober/straight before confronting your teen about his drug use. The more reasonable and approachable you are, the more likely your teen is to tell you the truth about what drugs he is using, when, and how much. Talk about why he is using drugs. Encourage him to make an honest assessment of his drug use. Talk about consequences, both immediate and future, for the choices he is making.
• Understand that your teen has made a dangerous decision and there is nothing you can do to reverse that decision. Your child’s drug use is not your fault. Though it may be difficult for you to step back, she will have to deal with the consequences of her choice.
• Focus your energy on maintaining a healthy relationship with your teen. Offer your teen your support, as well as community support contacts to help him assess and modify his drug use.
• If your teen develops a serious drug addiction, you will need to consult drug-counselling professionals for assistance. Talk to your family doctor or public health nurse for referrals.