Drugs - The greatest fear of many parents PART 1
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 Many parents’ greatest fear is that their children will get mixed up with drugs: illegal drugs, prescribed drugs taken inappropriately, and household products that can be abused. With the benefit of hindsight, parents know how easy it is to be led by peers during the impressionable years as a teenager or a young adult. And they know from the media how dangerous any experimentation can be, leading possibly to addiction, crime and death. It is important to remember that for most young people, illegal drug taking is not a part of normal life; and most people who do try drugs do not continue using them. However, it is also wise to be aware of the facts surrounding drugs and to convey these to your children at the earliest possible age.

(Drugs mean alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, ecstacy, heroine)

Children may be involved with legal or illegal drugs in various ways. Experimentation with drugs during adolescence is common, but sometimes younger children do get involved. Unfortunately, children often don’t see the link between their actions today and the consequences tomorrow. They also have a tendency to feel indestructible and immune to the problems that others experience.

Using alcohol and tobacco at a young age increases the risk of using other drugs later. Some teens will experiment and stop, or continue to use occasionally, without significant problems. Others will develop a dependency, moving on to more dangerous drugs and causing significant harm to themselves and possibly others.

Adolescence is a time for trying new things. Teens use drugs for many reasons, including curiosity, because it feels good, to reduce stress, to feel grown up or to fit in. It is difficult to know in advance, which teens will experiment and stop and which will develop serious problems.

Drug use is associated with a variety of negative consequences, including increased risk of serious drug use later in life, school failure, and poor judgement which may put teens at greater risk for accidents, violence, unplanned and unsafe sex, and suicide.

Parents can help through early education about drugs, open communication, good role modelling, and early recognition if problems are developing. If there is any suspicion that there is a problem, parents must find the most appropriate intervention for their child.

Dr Tim Evans – Childalert’s Family Doctor says:
"The most important aspect associated with children growing up is to ensure that the lines of communication are established and continually maintained throughout the challenging period of adolescence. If children and teenagers don't feel they can talk about issues such as drugs openly, there is little chance that parents will be able to influence them in overcoming the peer pressure to experiment with such substances on which a percentage will then become dependant."


The Risks
It is important to make your child aware of the risks associated with taking drugs.

All drugs carry risks.

The user can never be sure what is being taken.

Not knowing the strength of the drug can lead to overdose.

The user cannot know what effect a drug will have, and this varies from person to person.

It is often very dangerous to mix different drugs (including alcohol).

If needles or syringes are being shared, there is a serious risk of spreading dangerous infection, including HIV and AIDS, or of damaging veins.

Unlawful possession of a controlled (illegal) drug can result in a criminal record.

Drug usage has a harmful effect on people’s lives. It destroys their ability to cope with everyday life. It is likely to affect both their physical and mental health. It can cause them to lose their friends, to get into trouble with the police, and to find themselves with financial difficulties.


Communication - Talking to Your Children about Drugs
Although each family will deal with the subject in a different way, here are a few pointers to bear in mind:

Show that your main concern is for your child’s health, safety and wellbeing.

Listen carefully to the child’s views and feelings.

Try to explain your own feelings to make your point of view clear.

Talk with them, rather than to them or at them.

However difficult you think it will be to broach the subject, it is important not to avoid it.

The approach you take will depend upon circumstances, your children, their age, and whether they are likely to have experienced drugs already. It is also much easier to talk to your children about drugs before you suspect they may be coming into contact with them. At that stage, you are likely to be accused of lecturing or accusing, and arguments may follow, but it is worth it and to gain the confidence and openness of communication. Bear in mind that children as young as 8,9 and 10 are being exposed to drugs especially if they have older brothers and sisters.

The younger your children are, the more impressionable they are, the less likely they are to question your authority, and the more likely they are to adopt your opinions (for the time being at least). You can make sure that you give them accurate information, and you can encourage them to talk to you about drugs at the time or in the future. By the time they leave primary school they are likely to have come across the drugs issue in the media. Use any opportunity to open up a discussion at home and ask them what they know about drugs. It might also be useful to find out what drug education is provided at school.

Starting secondary school is a big change. This alone can leave children feeling vulnerable, but the years that follow up to 16 or 18 are testing times and can lead even a ‘steady’ child to experiment with drugs or alcohol. What their friends do or say becomes increasingly more important to a teenager, and they are less likely to be open with their parents. If possible, try to keep dialogue going and make time to talk. Even if it is not directly related to difficult issues it will help to strengthen your relationship and make it easier to tackle them on another occasion. If talking about drugs specifically, decide what you want to say, and think about the best way of getting your message across. Think about the way your parents talked to you and how it made you feel. Remind yourself that adolescents will need more freedom, more privacy and the right to take or leave your advice but continue to remind them that you are there to support them.

After the age of 16, your child is now a young adult and your relationship will change again. You must take another step back, making allowances for their need of privacy, and accepting that you do not need to know everything that goes on in their life. Show them that they are trusted, but also show your disappointment if that trust is abused. Show an interest without seeming to pry or probe. Accept (if their behaviour is legal) that they may do things you would prefer them not to do.

The main point is to keep the channels of communication open. Sometimes you may need to inform, others advise and still other times just listen


Warning Signs of Substance Abuse
Physical Fatigue, repeated health complaints, red and glazed eyes, and a lasting cough.
Emotional Personality change, sudden mood changes, irritability, irresponsible behavior, low self-esteem, poor judgment, depression, and a general lack of interest.
Family Starting arguments, breaking rules, or withdrawing from the family.
School Decreased interest, negative attitude, drop in school performance, many absences, truancy, and discipline problems.
Social problems New friends who are less interested in standard home and school activities, problems with the law, and changes to less conventional styles in dress and music.

Some of the warning signs listed above can also be signs of other problems. Parents may recognize signs of trouble but should not be expected to make the diagnosis.

Consulting a physician to rule out physical causes of the warning signs is a good first step. This should often be followed or accompanied by a comprehensive evaluation by a psychiatrist or mental health professional.

However the decision to get treatment for a child or adolescent is serious. Parents are encouraged to seek consultation.


Who is At Risk?
There should be no complacency – no child is free from the risk. Typical problems might include those

with a family history of substance abuse
who are depressed
who have low self-esteem, and
who feel like they don’t fit in or are out of the mainstream
that mix with a crowd that might fit into any of the above – the wrong crowd


Teenagers abuse a variety of drugs, legal and illegal.
Although each family will deal with the subject in a different way, here are a few pointers to bear in mind:

Alcohol: alcopops are specifically designed to introduce young people to alcohol

Tobacco: Teens who smoke are three times more likely than nonsmokers to use alcohol, eight times more likely to use marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine. Smoking is associated with a host of other risky behaviours, such as fighting and engaging in unprotected sex.

Prescribed medications

Inhalants: Known by such street names as huffing, sniffing and wanging, the dangerous habit of getting high by inhaling the fumes of common household products is estimated to claim the lives of more than a thousand children each year. Many other young people, including some first-time users, are left with serious respiratory problems and permanent brain damage.

Over-the-counter cough, cold, sleep, and diet medications

Cannabis and Marijuana: This is the most commonly used drug ( cannabis). Although it is not necessarily dangerous – it leads to other more serious drugs.

Stimulants: The possible long-term effects include tolerance and dependence, violence and aggression, malnutrition due to suppression of appetite. Crack, a powerfully addictive stimulant, is the term used for a smokeable form of cocaine. In 1997, an estimated 1.5 million Americans, age 12 and older, were chronic cocaine users.

Club drugs: This term refers to drugs being used by teens and young adults at all-night dance parties such as "raves" or "trances," dance clubs, and bars. MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB, Rohypnol (Rophies), ketamine, methamphetamine, and LSD are some of the club or party drugs gaining popularity. Because some club drugs are colourless, tasteless, and odourless, they can be added unobtrusively to beverages by individuals who want to intoxicate or sedate others. In recent years, there has been an increase in reports of club drugs used to commit sexual assaults.

Depressants: These are drugs used medicinally to relieve anxiety, irritability, tension. There is a high potential for abuse and, combined with alcohol, effects are heightened and risks are multiplied.

Heroin: Several sources indicate an increase in new, young users across the country who are being lured by inexpensive, high-purity heroin that can be sniffed or smoked instead of injected. Heroin has also been appearing in more affluent communities.

Steroids: Anabolic steroids are a group of powerful compounds closely related to the male sex hormone testosterone. From 1998 to 1999, there was a significant increase in anabolic steroid abuse among middle-schoolers.

The use of illegal drugs is increasing, especially among young teens. The average age of first cannabis use is 14, and alcohol use can start before age 12. The use of cannabis and alcohol in schools has become common.
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