Keeping Teenagers Drug Free

Keeping teenagers drug free seems like an insurmountable task. With the various pressures that teenagers face and the peer pressure that every parent understands their teen goes through.

Teenagers who drink are three times more likely to experiment and turn to the chronic use of drugs than teenagers who don’t drink. Teenagers whose parents use any type of recreational drug are 80% more likely to use drugs, and teens who smoke are 45% more likely to use drugs as a coping mechanism than teens that don’t. Teenagers are likely to try drugs for a variety of reasons including, peer pressure, curiosity, rebellion, and a desire to feel grown up. The leading cause of teenage drug experimentation is curiosity. The leading causes of teenage drug use are stress & depression.

So as we as a society are trying to teach young men and women how to grow up into responsible young people and take over the world, how do we keep them from caving into their curiosity and trying drugs? There is information to support that teens between the ages of 13 and 18 have tried at least one recreational drug at least once. Fewer teenagers prefer to admit to using drugs in any form. This shows that kids are willing to try mind altering experiences, but that most are not interested in making it a lifestyle. While it only takes one time for a devastating health effect to take place, it is still encouraging to know that chronic problems remain low.

Keeping teenagers drug free is the responsibility of every adult. Parents, in particular, need to talk about how they feel about drug use, what their fears are and how devastated they would be if their kids turned to drugs instead of them to help sort out their problems. Parents need to be able to express to kids from an early age why drugs are so dangerous, and that it only takes once to end their life. Pot, speed, and other illegal substances are not the only drugs kids are getting their hands on.

Thus, when speaking to your kids about drugs, they need to be advised of all forms of mind altering substances and the importance of staying clear. Kids are able to justify in their own teenage reasoning that they are not doing drugs, and that they have found a “safer” alternative.

Bored children tend to get into more trouble. Children who have no interests, hobbies, sports, or social activities and interest in the world are much more prone to being a nuisance in any community than kids who have made commitments to any other activity that keeps them occupied and gives them goals. Kids who are completely unsupervised after school are also more likely to dabble in drug use or substance abuse.

Keeping teenagers drug free is an effort that every adult in society needs to take responsibility for. Providing teenagers with the right attitude starts in the home. Maintaining a good attitude takes the constant reminder from role models that drugs and mind altering substances are simply, not cool.