Drugs and Alcohol Abuse
Not my kid!
It
can happen to you. We must understand that
in modern society, every child is in danger of getting
involved with drugs,
nicotine or alcohol.
The mood swings and unpredictable behavior
that most teens experience makes it difficult
for parents to tell if a child is using drugs.
The anti-drug education our kids get in school barely counters the "street
education" they pick up from peers and our
culture.
What are the signs
that your child is experimenting with drugs or alcohol,
or is at risk of doing so?
-
change of friends (be extra
wary if new friendships develop with older teenagers or young
adults
-
if a best friend uses drugs
-
careless about her personal
appearance
-
a decline in participation
at home
-
diminished interest in
hobbies, sports, or favorite activities
-
irritability, overreacts to
mild criticism or avoids family contact
-
eating and sleeping patterns have changed
-
lack of appreciation for
values that used to be important
-
extreme emotional mood
swings
-
secretive phone calls
-
lying
-
changes in school
performance, tardiness, truancy, and/or disciplinary problems,
frequently breaks curfews
-
missing money, personal
belongings, prescription drugs or alcohol
-
trouble with the law,
shoplifting, truancy, DUI, disorderly conduct
-
using street or drug
language
-
eyes are red or glassy, or nose is runny,
but no allergies
-
a family history of drug use
or alcoholism
-
cigarette smoking can be an
early sign that other substance use may be in the picture
-
you discover pipes (or bongs), rolling
papers, medicine bottles, butane lighters, homemade pipes or other
suspected drub paraphernalia
Drug Awareness Challenge How much do you know about drugs?
10 Warning Signs of Prescription Drug Dependency
(Source
MedicineNet) people rely on prescription painkillers for the relief of
ailments such as headaches, cramps, pain from an injury, etc.
Regrettably, this dependence on prescription drugs can develop into a
physical dependency. The most frequently
prescribed drugs like Vicodin, Methadone, Percocet, etc., while offering
help, can cause one to start needing the drugs to feel normal, which can
result in a more difficult addiction problem.
Get the whole story from MedicineNet...
As parents, we must
-
Educate ourselves
-
Reinforce the message that
alcohol, tobacco and other drug use is a serious matter - and is
not tolerated
-
Carry on a continuing
dialogue with our children
-
See "Teen
Drug Use- 34 Warning Signs"
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