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How do I Talk to my Teen about Drug Abuse?

Many parents want to know at what age they should have "the drug talk" with their children. There should not be just one talk. Ongoing, open communication, ideally starting by age eight is appropriate. However it is never too late to start the dialog.

Talk with your teen, not to your teen. They won't be receptive to a lecture. Look for opportunities to talk about drugs. Television and the news will provide you with more opportunities that you care to have.

While it's important to stress that drug use is not allowed in your house, merely forbidding your teen to use drugs could back fire on you. However once your stance is clear, you need to be careful that your hard and fast rules don't cause rebellion. There needs to be a mutual understanding.

After you explain the dangers of drugs and addictions it's imperative to talk about peer pressure and self esteem. If your teen has the ability to say no and be ok with that decision, it will be so much easier to avoid drugs all together.

Give your teen some suggestion on how to respond by role playing. If you receive an unenthusiastic response such as, "No Mom, I don't want to do that [to role play], it's stupid." Then you still forge ahead with your idea. How they practice their response at home is how they will respond in an actual situation.

Offer suggestions such as "No thanks, let's go to the mall instead." Or "Nah, let's go shoot some hoops." Another alternative if they feel they need to offer a reason why: "No thanks, I need to [study, stay in shape for tae kwon do, stay clean for gymnastics]"

Let your teen know that you understand they want to be part of the crowd, but that they need to make intelligent decisions. They are not fully capable of understanding ramifications; that is your job to help them choose wisely.

Expect some resistance. You are the parent; and you have been given the responsibility to equip your child to be a responsible, well rounded adult. Remember to keep talking. The drug conversation should not be a one time event. Look for opportunities to bring it up again and again and again.