Chapter 10
What to Do if My Teenager is Using Drugs
You may have a child that is already using or experimenting with drugs. This chapter helps you deal with this difficult situation. We will discuss how to best confront your child’s drug use, using some of the communication techniques addressed in Chapter 8. You will also learn how as a prevention-smart parent you can let your child know you will support them in making alternative choices.
This chapter assumes that you have completed the previous modules, or are educated about the different types of drugs that children and teens are exposed to and the risks involved in drug use. Here we focus on what to do if you have discovered that your teenager is using drugs.
Parents have the most important and powerful influence on a teenager's health habits and you play an important role when it comes to steering your teenager to get professional help if that is needed. The influence of a parent occurs not only in what you say as a parent but also in how you behave. In this light, prevention-smart parents need to examine their own attitudes and non-verbal communication that they show their children. Showing a positive example is one of the most powerful forms of communicating with adolescents.
Remember, the #1 task of teenagers is to make parents doubt themselves!
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