Spotting Teen Drug use and Preventing It
July 12th, 2010 by admin
With summer comes more free time and relaxed adult supervision which can mean more opportunities for your teen to use alcohol and drugs. According to an annual study of adolescent drug use one third of of high school seniors report having used marijuana as well as 27% of 10th graders. 44% of high school seniors reported drinking in the past 30 days. 15% of 8th graders, 29% of 10th graders and 37% of 12th graders report using an illicit drug in the past year. Those are some scary statistics. You want to really monitor your child for any change in mood or behavior. There are some signs that mean it’s time for you to take action:
smelling alcohol or marijuana
stealing money
marked changes in eating and/or sleeping habits
changes in friends
loss of interest in usual activities or hobbies
It’s important to be involved in your teen’s life and knowing what they are up. Be there for them when they need support and listen without being critical or judgmental. You don’t have to helicopter parent in order to get results, just stayed tuned in.