Parents need to recognize the changing drug landscape
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Parents need to recognize the changing drug landscape
The drug abuse landscape for today's youth is not what it was 20, 30 or 40 years ago. Alcohol is still the most commonly abused drug among young people, and marijuana is still popular, as it was in the '60s and '70s.
"But the drug scene is much different than when today's parents were teens," said Carol Falkowski, a drug trend expert and director of research communications at Hazelden. "Today, drugs are more available, they're used at a younger age, and there's a wider variety of drugs. Many more kids today are on prescription medications, marijuana is stronger than it used to be, and other illicit drugs, such as GHB and ecstasy, are very unpredictable in their effects because there's no guarantee of the actual chemical makeup of these drugs--even one-time use can prove to be very dangerous and sometimes fatal."
With easy access to drugs and their unpredictable potency, no drug use is safe, and that's why Falkowski challenges today's parents to get educated and become drug-savvy. Falkowski, author of "Dangerous Drugs: An Easy-to-Use Reference for Parents and Professionals" (Hazelden, 2003), has presented hundreds of times to parents, students and schools. She cannot overstate the role of parents in preventing drug abuse.
"The No. 1 reason kids don't use is that it would disappoint their parents," said Falkowski. "Drug and alcohol abuse can happen in any family. And if it does happen, it doesn't mean your child's a 'bad' kid or you are a 'bad' parent."
Consider a few fast facts: By senior year in high school, four out of five kids have tried alcohol and 58 percent have been drunk. Over one-third of 10th-graders have already been drunk at least once. By senior year in high school, 46 percent of students have tried marijuana, and by 10th grade 36 percent of students have tried marijuana.
"What kids used to learn on the street, they can now learn on cyber street corners all across the country," said Falkowski. "The Internet provides instant access to an unlimited world of prescription drugs for sale, drug recipes and do-it-yourself kits, and mood-altering substances sold as something else. There are Web sites that tout the benefits of drug abuse, provide misleading information as fact, and create an interactive, drug-abusing peer group that can make even the most socially isolated teen feel like he or she belongs."
Most middle-school kids with five dollars can get a marijuana joint in a matter of hours. Alcohol comes from other kids or their parents' liquor locker. And with roughly 5 million school-aged children taking a prescription drug every day for a behavior disorder, one unintended consequence is that kids nonchalantly share their prescriptions with other kids, unwittingly assuming that "if it's a pill it must be safe."
"Parents need to keep up with the changing trends of drug abuse and talk early and often with their kids about mood-altering drugs," says Falkowski. "They need to listen, not lecture, and make their message age-appropriate. Recognize teachable moments to discuss the topic, and let your expectations of 'no use' be known. Set consequences in advance and enforce them."
Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug abuse, and don't be blinded by love, she adds. Learn what to look for and know what to do if it happens.
Adolescence is a volatile time, which makes spotting changes that are due to alcohol and other drug use even more challenging, says Falkowski. But if you notice more than a few of the following behavioral signs happening simultaneously with your teenager, it could signal the emergence of a substance abuse problem:
*
steals or borrows money from work, home or friends;
*
secretive, defensive behavior about activities and possessions;
*
unusual mood changes;
*
abrupt temper outbursts;
*
marked changes in eating or sleeping habits;
*
drop in academic performance;
*
heavy use of perfumes or other scents;
*
burned matches, objects used as pipes;
*
changes peer group;
*
significant deterioration in personal appearance or hygiene;
*
loss of interest in usual activities and hobbies.
"Trust your instincts," says Falkowski. "No one knows your child as well as you do. If you suspect an emerging alcohol or drug problem, talk with your child about it. Tell them what you see, how it makes you think and feel, and what you are going to do about it. Then get professional help."
"But the drug scene is much different than when today's parents were teens," said Carol Falkowski, a drug trend expert and director of research communications at Hazelden. "Today, drugs are more available, they're used at a younger age, and there's a wider variety of drugs. Many more kids today are on prescription medications, marijuana is stronger than it used to be, and other illicit drugs, such as GHB and ecstasy, are very unpredictable in their effects because there's no guarantee of the actual chemical makeup of these drugs--even one-time use can prove to be very dangerous and sometimes fatal."
With easy access to drugs and their unpredictable potency, no drug use is safe, and that's why Falkowski challenges today's parents to get educated and become drug-savvy. Falkowski, author of "Dangerous Drugs: An Easy-to-Use Reference for Parents and Professionals" (Hazelden, 2003), has presented hundreds of times to parents, students and schools. She cannot overstate the role of parents in preventing drug abuse.
"The No. 1 reason kids don't use is that it would disappoint their parents," said Falkowski. "Drug and alcohol abuse can happen in any family. And if it does happen, it doesn't mean your child's a 'bad' kid or you are a 'bad' parent."
Consider a few fast facts: By senior year in high school, four out of five kids have tried alcohol and 58 percent have been drunk. Over one-third of 10th-graders have already been drunk at least once. By senior year in high school, 46 percent of students have tried marijuana, and by 10th grade 36 percent of students have tried marijuana.
"What kids used to learn on the street, they can now learn on cyber street corners all across the country," said Falkowski. "The Internet provides instant access to an unlimited world of prescription drugs for sale, drug recipes and do-it-yourself kits, and mood-altering substances sold as something else. There are Web sites that tout the benefits of drug abuse, provide misleading information as fact, and create an interactive, drug-abusing peer group that can make even the most socially isolated teen feel like he or she belongs."
Most middle-school kids with five dollars can get a marijuana joint in a matter of hours. Alcohol comes from other kids or their parents' liquor locker. And with roughly 5 million school-aged children taking a prescription drug every day for a behavior disorder, one unintended consequence is that kids nonchalantly share their prescriptions with other kids, unwittingly assuming that "if it's a pill it must be safe."
"Parents need to keep up with the changing trends of drug abuse and talk early and often with their kids about mood-altering drugs," says Falkowski. "They need to listen, not lecture, and make their message age-appropriate. Recognize teachable moments to discuss the topic, and let your expectations of 'no use' be known. Set consequences in advance and enforce them."
Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug abuse, and don't be blinded by love, she adds. Learn what to look for and know what to do if it happens.
Adolescence is a volatile time, which makes spotting changes that are due to alcohol and other drug use even more challenging, says Falkowski. But if you notice more than a few of the following behavioral signs happening simultaneously with your teenager, it could signal the emergence of a substance abuse problem:
*
steals or borrows money from work, home or friends;
*
secretive, defensive behavior about activities and possessions;
*
unusual mood changes;
*
abrupt temper outbursts;
*
marked changes in eating or sleeping habits;
*
drop in academic performance;
*
heavy use of perfumes or other scents;
*
burned matches, objects used as pipes;
*
changes peer group;
*
significant deterioration in personal appearance or hygiene;
*
loss of interest in usual activities and hobbies.
"Trust your instincts," says Falkowski. "No one knows your child as well as you do. If you suspect an emerging alcohol or drug problem, talk with your child about it. Tell them what you see, how it makes you think and feel, and what you are going to do about it. Then get professional help."
Nature Girl
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: By The Lake
Posts: 60,328
Great article, Doug.
So many parents have no idea what to look for, or that their child is as likely to try drugs as any other child. I'm a big believer in getting into the schools and educating kids about what drugs can do and why they are so dangerous, including speaking to very young children who have not yet been exposed to this.
Hugs
Ann
So many parents have no idea what to look for, or that their child is as likely to try drugs as any other child. I'm a big believer in getting into the schools and educating kids about what drugs can do and why they are so dangerous, including speaking to very young children who have not yet been exposed to this.
Hugs
Ann
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