Parent Tips: Talking About Drugs and Alcohol

Whether teens are entering high school for the first time or advancing grades, transitions can be both exciting and stressful. As teens face new challenges, new environments and new social influences, these stressors can lead teens to experiment with illegal substances. Recent studies have shown that high-stress teens are twice as likely as low-stress teens to smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs.

"When parents and teens have open lines of communication and are able to speak authentically about the dangers of illegal substances, there is a dramatic reduction in the likelihood that teens will engage in this type of high-risk behavior," explained Tammy Granger, student assistance program coordinator at Caron Treatment Centers, a nationally recognized non-profit provider of alcohol and drug addiction treatment. "Many parents underestimate the role they can play in preventing their teens from using drugs and alcohol, but an effective conversation can have a surprising amount of impact."

Red Ribbon Week (Oct. 22-30) is the perfect time to remind parents of ways in which they can influence their children's decisions regarding substance use. There are several key ways for parents to facilitate successful conversations and feel confident in addressing sensitive issues, such as drug and alcohol use and abuse, with their teens.

• Talk early and often: Have frequent conversations about expectations. Addressing potential issues well before they occur, and having continued conversations, is an effective way to deter negative behavior.
• Create an annual contract: A contract that puts expectations in writing, created with the teens' input, provides an objective record of agreed-upon rules. Topics to address in the contract may include drug and alcohol abstinence, curfew, technology usage, and family rules and consequences.
• Set expectations regarding academic performance: If a teen is consuming drugs or alcohol, parents are likely to observe a decline in his or her grades. Teens who understand that they're expected to achieve a certain caliber of academic performance will often be more focused.
• Reinforce that prescription drugs can also be abused: Increasingly, teens are prescribed medicine for issues such as Attention Deficit Disorder, depression and anxiety. Parents must remind teens that if they take prescription drugs, they must take only the prescribed amount, and they should never take friends' prescription drugs.
• Address current observable areas of concern: If teens exhibit potential drug and alcohol abuse warning signs, such as rapid mood swings, anger management issues, withdrawal from family activity or physical changes like significant weight loss and changes in sleeping patterns, parent must discuss this with them immediately. Parents should also take advantage of school resources that may be available at little or no cost, including assessment and counseling services.

As teens grow throughout high school, they deal with more autonomy and independence, heightened social pressures, navigating new friend groups and increased workloads. During times of stress, teens are likely to be tempted to use drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. Parents can remind kids that they are available to listen, and they can help teens deal with potentially overwhelming situations through open, honest communication about alternative coping mechanisms.

For additional resources and facts on addiction and prevention, parents can visit www.caron.org.

Related resource

Your School Drug Prevention Program Probably Isn’t Working

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