What Can Parents Do to Prevent Teenage Alcohol and Drug Use?
Angela Oswalt Morelli , MSW, edited by C. E. Zupanick, Psy.D.The prospect of drug use frightens many parents and with good reason. But many parents mistakenly believe there is nothing they can do to protect their children. While parents cannot completely prevent their children's eventual exposure to alcohol and other drugs, there are steps parents can take to reduce the potential risks. First, parents themselves must become informed about the risks and dangers of adolescent drug use as discussed in the previous section and become familiar with the alcohol and drug situation within their own communities. Today's youth are most likely to use and abuse alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and inhalants. However, youth are still at risk for using other substances such as cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, methamphetamine, hallucinogens, or steroids. The type of drugs youth choose to use depends upon the availability and popularity of particular drugs within their community, neighborhood, and culture. Parents can familiarize themselves with the local drug situation by contacting their local police or child's school resource officer.
According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (CDC, 2009), 72.5% of high school youth reported they had drunk alcohol at some point in their life, and 41.8% of the responders reported they had drank in the previous month (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010). Using alcohol can cause a person to feel more relaxed and more euphoric in the early stages of intoxication. More worrisome, 24.2% the youth reported they had participated in binge drinking, which was defined as consuming 4-5 drinks or more within a few hours (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010). Binge drinking seriously increases the risk of youth becoming intoxicated and becoming involved in dangerous situations as their inhibitions are lessened. It also increases the risk of a youth overdosing or experiencing alcohol poisoning.
The survey also reported that 46.3% of youth had smoked a cigarette at least once in their life, and 19.5% reported using cigarettes currently. Furthermore, 26% of youth reported they are currently using some form of tobacco (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010). The primary ingredient in tobacco is nicotine, which is a highly-addictive stimulant. Moreover, 36.8% of the respondents reported using marijuana at some point in life, and 20.8% of them reported having used in the previous month (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010).
The survey also found that 20.2% of youth reported taking prescription drugs that hadn't been prescribed to them (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010). Strong pain medications like Oxycontin, Percocet®, and Vicodin® and anxiety medications like Xanex® can create pleasurable feelings when abused outside their prescribed use. Medications meant to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) like Ritalin® or Adderall® can cause people without ADD to have unlimited energy and reduces the need to sleep. Some youth abuse these drugs to experience the high, but others abuse them to increase their ability to do schoolwork, work, and other activities and reduce the need for sleep. The survey did not ask youth about over-the-counter drug use for reasons other than directed uses, but professionals worry that youth are getting high off of substances like those found in cough and cold medicines as well.
Of the youth who completed the survey, 11.7% of youth reported having used inhalants in the past to get high (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010). Youth choose to "huff" chemicals, such as the fumes from gasoline, spray paint, or glue or inhaling the contents of aerosol household products, such as computer keyboard cleaner or room deodorizers. The chemicals in these products can cut off the oxygen supply to the brain. While this creates a sensation that youth can find thrilling or pleasurable, it can also cause short-term and long-term brain damage and even immediate death. Once parents have become informed about the risks of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and understand the local drug situation in their community, they are better prepared to take the necessary steps to educate and protect their youth. Furthermore, informed parents are better able to identify the early signs of alcohol and other drug use. As such, they are in a better position to intervene quickly and effectively, and to seek professional guidance and medical intervention when necessary.
Resources
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Articles
- Adolescent Parenting Introduction
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Healthy Teens: Food, Eating & Nutrition During Adolescence
- Teenage Caloric Requirements
- Nutritional Guidelines for Teens
- How Can Parents Help Teens to Develop Healthy Eating Habits?
- Common Nutritional Challenges for Teenagers: Adolescent Obesity
- Common Nutritional Challenges for Teenagers: Eating Disorders and Unhealthy Dieting
- Common Nutritional Challenges for Teenagers: Adolescent Diabetes
- Adolescent Diabetes Continued
- Healthy Teens: Exercise and Sports
- Healthy Teens: Sleep
- Parenting Teens: Clothing Clashes, Housing Decisions, & Financial Management
- Parenting Teens: Skincare, Cosmetics, Tattoos, & Piercings
- Caring for Teens: Healthcare for Teens and Young Adults
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Parenting Teens: Discipline, Love, Rules & Expectations
- Parenting Teens: Discipline, Love, Rules & Expectations
- Discipline and Guidance: Early to Middle Adolescence
- Discipline and Guidance: Early to Middle Adolescence: Time Management and Family Commitments
- Discipline and Guidance: Early to Middle Adolescence: Socializing, Dating and Driving
- Discipline and Guidance: Older Adolescents and Young Adults (18 Years and Older)
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A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Teens’ Health and Safety
- A Parent's Guide to Protecting Teens' Health & Safety
- Understanding the Risks of Adolescent Drug Use: Part II
- What Can Parents Do to Prevent Teenage Alcohol and Drug Use?
- Steps Parents Can Take to Protect Their Children from Alcohol and Other Drug Use
- Steps for Parents: Part II
- Driving Privileges and Safe Driving Practices for Young Drivers
- Parental Guidelines for Teen Driving Privileges: The Family Driving Contract
- Protecting Teens from Abusive Relationships and Dating Violence
- Protecting Teens from Teenage Fights, Gang Violence, Exposure to Sexual Predators and Graphic Internet Violence
- Protecting Teens from Teenage Bullying
- Protecting Adolescent Safety: Independent Living
- Personal Security While in Public Places
- Adolescent Parenting Summary & Conclusion
- Adolescent Parenting: References & Resources
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Questions and Answers
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Book & Media Reviews
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Links
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Videos
- Feeling down? Let's talk - Prevention of suicide among adolescents
- Teen Drug Use: 2014 Monitoring The Future Survey Results
- NPW 2017: Suicide and Substance Use in Young People
- Are We Feeding Early Puberty
- Why Teens Are Attracted to Vaping
- Is My High School Student Ready for College? (And Is My College Student Ready to Go Back?)
- Advice to Parents | Drugs & College 101
- Teen Depression Screening
- Let’s talk about depression – focus on adolescents and young adults
- The Flu Shot- Who Really Gets It
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45 more
- Child Development: Stepping Stones - Lesson 21: Adolescence: Biosocial Development
- Child Development: Stepping Stones - Lesson 22: Adolescence: Cognitive Development
- Child Development: Stepping Stones - Lesson 24: Adolescence: Summary
- Are Your Kids Addicted to Social Media?
- Is My Child Too Young to Get the HPV Vaccine?
- Do Boys Need the HPV Vaccine?
- The Perils of Adolescence
- Tackling Concussions
- Adolescent Risk-Takers: The Power of Peers
- Energy Drink Sparking More ER Visits
- Children and Social Media: What Every Parent Should Know
- Drugs: Shatter The Myths
- The Impact of Changing Social Behaviors on Teen Drug Use
- Teen Substance Use
- Youth Suicide Risk
- Take Healthy Habits to College
- What Boys Want to Know About Puberty
- Am I Normal (Girls and Puberty)
- Money Tips for Millennials
- E-Cigarette Use in Middle and High School Students
- Teens Using E-cigarettes More Likely to Start Smoking Tobacco
- Tips For Teens With Diabetes: Be Active
- Help Teens Lower Their Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
- Adolescence: Preparing for Lifelong Health and Wellness
- Back to School: A Good Night's Sleep
- How to Talk to Teens: A Developmental Approach
- Bedtime Wake Up Call
- Game Change! Focus on Families - Engaging Young Adults and Their Families
- Endocrine System
- Behavioral Health on College Campuses
- Notebook: Sexual Harassment
- Flu Shots: Young Adults Need Immunity
- Most Teens Need a Rest
- Screen Time vs. Bedtime
- What is Puberty? Decoding Puberty in Girls
- All About Boys Puberty
- Inside Puberty: What Are the Stages of Puberty?
- Puberty Explained - What Is Happening To Your Body?
- Another Reason for Teens to Eat Their Vegetables
- Dangers of E-Cigarettes
- HPV Vaccine: A Pediatrician’s Recommendation
- Healthy Weight
- Getting through to your teenager with ADHD
- Back-to-School: A Time to Think about Health & Academics
- Impact of Cyberbullying: Addressing the Needs of Children and Youth
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