'Like' Linn Together on Facebook
If You Suspect Your Child is Using Alcohol or Other Drugs
Learn as much as you can about the issue. Check out www.freevibe.com or www.theantidrug.com, or visit your local library.
Stay involved. No matter what you think might have led to your child’s drug use, staying involved will allow you to help him or her stop using drugs and make positive choices.
Sit down and talk with your child:
- Find a time when you are calm and have plenty of time.
- Wait until he/she is sober and clear-headed.
- Tell your child what you have seen that has caused you to think he or she might be using drugs. Tell him/her exactly how his/her appearance or behavior has changed (bloodshot eyes, different clothes, changing their grooming style, not doing school work) and why it worries you. Tell him/her what you have found (empty bottles or cans, or drug paraphernalia).
- Do not place blame.
- Do not make excuses for your child.
Set clear rules about alcohol and other drug use. Be specific about what the consequences will be if the rules are not followed.
Monitor your child more closely.
Do not hesitate to get help. Other parents, teachers, school counselors, local agencies, and support groups can provide you with information, support, and referrals.
Try to be:
Understanding: “I realize drugs might seem attractive when others are using them.”
Firm: “It is unacceptable to me for you to use drugs while you live here. I am concerned about your health and safety.”
Supportive: “I love you and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Self-examining: “Is my own alcohol or other drug use setting a bad example for my child?”
Try not to be:
Sarcastic: “Don’t think I don’t know what you are up to.”
Accusatory: “You are lying to me.”
Sympathy Seeking: “Don’t you see how much you are hurting me?”
Substance use affects young people physically, emotionally, and behaviorally. It can weaken the ability to concentrate and remember information during a child’s peak learning years, and it can impair judgment, leading to poor decision-making. “Experimentation” with alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs can also lead to addiction. Research shows that young people who start drinking alcohol before age 15 are 5 times as likely to develop an alcohol problem as those who wait until age 21. Not everyone progresses from use to abuse to addiction, but there is no way to know who will develop a long-term problem and who won’t. If you have uncovered alcohol or other drug use, TAKE ACTION.