A Substance Abuse Guide for Parents

As kids get older, they often start to question the life lessons they hear from parents and teachers. They become more heavily influenced by the things they see on TV, the internet and social media. Teens listen to what their peers say, and they pay attention to what celebrity role models do. As a result, they get mixed messages, and they have to determine which information to believe. Anti-drug messages such as “just say no” aren’t effective. Teens need concrete reasons to avoid alcohol and other drugs. They need facts and evidence. Parents have to know what they’re talking about if they want their children to listen.

Drugs Most Commonly Used By Teens

The most popular drugs that teens use haven’t changed much for the past five decades. Alcohol, marijuana and tobacco consistently rank among the top substances of abuse among youth. But other perils have become popular in recent years. The packaging and advertisements for alcoholic energy drinks, electronic cigarettes and synthetic marijuana are designed to appeal to teens. The abuse of medications such as cough syrups, anti-anxiety drugs, ADHD medications and prescription pain relievers is less common, but the side effects can be life threatening. Less than one percent of teens use heroin, crystal meth or cocaine regularly.

Percent of 12th-graders Who Used A Substance in the Past Month:

Type of drug	Prevalence
Alcohol	33%
Marijuana	23%
Electronic vaporizers	13%
Cigarettes	11%
Prescription stimulants	3%
Prescription painkillers	2%
Anti-anxiety drugs	2%
LSD	1%
Cocaine	1%
Ecstasy	1%
Inhalents	1%

Source: 2016 Monitoring the Future Survey

The percent of high school seniors who tried cigarettes has declined each year since 1998, and it reached an all-time low in 2016. Electronic vaporizers also declined in popularity between 2015 and 2016, the only two years that teens were asked about their use of the products.

What Effects Drugs Have on Teens

Most teens do not develop a substance use disorder after using drugs, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t vulnerable to a number of other risks. The side effects of various drugs differ. Addiction is the one risk that each drug has in common. Some drugs are more addictive than others, but with repeated use, teens can become addicted to any drug.

How Drugs Affect the Teen Brain

The teenage brain is wired to be curious and seek news experiences. It’s in a constant state of development, meaning it adapts to addictive substances more quickly than an adult brain. Teen brains also have a mature reward system. They feel pleasure and pain in ways similar to adults, but the decision-making areas of the brain are immature. Thus, teens are more likely to act on impulse or emotions and less likely to fully assess situations. The reward system works by releasing a small amount of a chemical called dopamine in the brain. Dopamine makes us feel happy. It’s naturally released to reward basic behaviors necessary to survival such as eating, exercising or having sex. Other behaviors that teens find pleasurable, such as playing sports, listening to music or socializing, cause small dopamine releases. Each drug affects the brain in a different way, but all drugs overload the reward system with dopamine. The brain associates drug use with this positive reward, which causes teens to want to repeat the behavior. When teens use drugs regularly, the brain repeatedly adapts to the presence of the drugs and associates it with positive rewards. Some people are genetically more vulnerable to this adaptation than others. They’re at a risk for developing an addiction. In those teens, the brain associates drug use with such positive rewards that the dopamine release caused by other activities no longer causes happiness. Drug use becomes a top priority for the brain, and the parts of the brain in charge of self-control can no longer keep the reward system in check.

Why Teens Try Drugs

Teens try alcohol or other drugs for a number of reasons that are influenced by several factors. One risk factor alone may not be enough to spur teen drug use, but a combination of several factors increases the chances that a teen will try alcohol or other drugs. Protective factors such as anti-drug messages in the community, extracurricular drug testing in school and positive parental influence can negate risk factors. Teens use alcohol or other drugs for a number of reasons. They usually try addictive substances for the first time because of peer pressure or their own curiosity. Teens who drink alcohol or use drugs have few barriers to prevent them. They aren’t afraid of getting caught, and they have little trouble finding substances of abuse.

Where Teens Encounter Drugs

It’s easy for teens to access alcohol and other drugs. They can buy drugs at school or buy alcohol, cigarettes or synthetic marijuana from gas stations with fake IDs. Drinking and drug use is common at parties. If parents aren’t diligent, teens can steal prescription drugs from medicine cabinets or buy drugs on the internet and have them delivered in discreet packages. Even if you monitor who your child hangs out with, most teens know a friend of a friend who can access illicit drugs or get them alcohol. They may work with young adults who are willing to buy alcohol, tobacco products or e-cigarettes for them. Youth are also exposed to alcohol and other drugs on social media. A 2012 study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that nearly half of teens surveyed said they’d seen teens drinking or using drugs on social media and that it seemed like they were having a good time. Seventy-five percent of teens reported that seeing other teens drinking alcohol or smoking marijuana on social media sites encouraged other students to want to use them to have fun.

Drugs at School

Despite their best efforts, educators can’t control everything that students bring on and off school property. It isn’t just one or two bad apples selling drugs, though. You may be surprised at how prevalent drug trafficking is on school grounds. The school day isn’t the only time students have access to addictive substances. Many parents underestimate what happens when their children attend parties.

Parties

A 2006 survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that a third of teens and nearly half of 17-year-olds have attended a house party chaperoned by parents where teens drank alcohol or used other drugs. Numerous studies show that when parents allow their teens to drink a few sips of alcohol or allow them to drink at home, the children are more likely to drink outside of the home.

How Marijuana Legalization Affects Teens

Several states have legalized marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes. Research isn’t clear on how medicinal marijuana legalization affects teens. In Colorado and Washington, states that have legalized recreational marijuana, youth marijuana consumption increased gradually between 2011 and 2014. Nationally, the states that have legalized medicinal or recreational marijuana have the highest youth marijuana consumption rates. But in most cases, the states had led other states in marijuana consumption rates before legalization. Nationally, teen marijuana consumption rates grew to a five-year high in 2015. Teen perceptions of the risks associated with marijuana have also weakened considerably. More teens perceive no great risk from smoking marijuana today than ever before.

Preventing Substance Abuse

Parents have a profound impact on a child’s decision to try alcohol or other drugs, but relationships between parents and their children are often delicate. You have to be involved in their lives, but avoid being a helicopter parent who is smothering or overprotective. Eventually, teens have to make choices for themselves. If parents lend appropriate advice and act as positive role models, they can influence the choices their children make.

Parents Do Influence Their Children

Most parents believe they don’t have a strong influence on their children, but research doesn’t back that up. You’re probably the most influential person in your child’s life. “All the time, high school students tell us that the main reason their peers don’t drink or use drugs is because parents would disapprove,” said Emily Feinstein, the director of health law and policy at the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Teens highly value the respect of their parents even though many of them don’t want to admit it. There are a variety of ways parents can help prevent their children from trying drugs. One of the most important ways parents influence their children is by being positive role models. Teens mimic what they see. That means parents should keep alcohol and other drugs away from the home. If you drink in front of your children, do so in moderation and explain why it’s important for kids to abstain from alcohol until their brains are fully developed.

How to Discuss Drug Abuse With Youth

Many children don’t like being told what to do. They also dislike being lectured. When you communicate with teens, make sure you give them input in the conversation. Ask them what their views on drugs are and listen to their questions. Get started at a young age so your children are used to having the conversation with you. A 2014 survey found that 42 percent of teens whose parents believed underage drinking was somewhat unacceptable or completely acceptable admitted to drinking. Comparatively, 8 percent of teens whose parents were against underage drinking said they had tried alcohol. Don’t treat teenagers like they’re children, and don’t overwhelm young children with too many facts about drug abuse. It can be difficult to know how to talk to youth. Here are some tips.

Make sure you build an environment of trust and open communication. Don’t use scare tactics or make exaggerated claims. Stick to the facts. When you talk about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs, emphasize the negative side effects that can result from substance abuse. Examples include decreased physical ability in sports, lost driving privileges, damage to overall health and negative effects on their appearance. Talk to your teens about other influences on their attitudes about drugs. Think about how the media portrays drugs on television or in music. Be aware of your child’s sources of entertainment, including websites and apps. Your children may be exposed to drugs by the pages they like on Facebook, the people they follow on Twitter and Instagram, or the videos they watch on YouTube. Be prepared for them to ask about your own drug use and determine how you will respond. Some studies show teens who know of a parent’s past drug use are more likely to have weak anti-drug attitudes. If you do share your experience, make sure you explain why you stopped and the negative consequences of your actions.

Supporting Your Teen’s Recovery

Parents should continue to support their child’s recovery even after treatment comes to an end. Try to maintain a low-stress environment at home, discontinue your own alcohol or drug use in front of your children and continue to enforce rules. Family members should ask their therapist about random drug tests. Testing your children for drugs may weaken trust, so you should explain that you trust them but not their disease. You should establish consequences for breaking rules and clearly communicate why the rules are in place. You should also reward teens for good behavior. Rewarding good behavior may be as important as punishing poor behavior. In addition to establishing a safe, supportive and disciplined home environment, you should help your child in recovery find support in the community.

Aftercare Support

Encourage your teen to continue to receive aftercare support. You can ask for a referral to local support groups or other aftercare services from a health care provider. Support groups include 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous and teen groups such as Alateen. If there is a recovery high school in your area, it may be the best option for your teen’s return to school. Only children in recovery from addiction can attend recovery schools, and the faculty and staff members at the schools are trained to work with recovering teens. The programming at many recovery high schools includes group meetings where teens connect with their peers to support each other’s recovery efforts. Some schools also offer family therapy, student-run self-help meetings and community service programs. If self-help groups don’t work for your child, find something that does. Teens in recovery can find support from peers in other organizations such as youth groups, sports clubs or service organizations. Peer support is one of the most effective resources for teens in recovery.

Handling Relapse

It’s also important to understand that relapse happens. Teens may test boundaries with parents, and they are often prone to compulsive behavior. Remember, about one-third of teens relapse within the first three months after treatment. With patience and love, parents can guide their children through recovery. Recovery isn’t easy, and many people relapse multiple times. But relapse doesn’t equal failure. Parents should enforce rules for a drug-free home, but they should also be understanding if relapse occurs. You should talk to your teen’s treatment provider to determine the appropriate steps to take after relapse. Steps may include a return to an inpatient facility or outpatient therapy. It’s important for parents to recognize the warning signs of relapse, which are similar to the warning signs for drug abuse, to prevent it from continuing.

Parents of teens who use drugs often develop feelings of guilt or shame. If your child develops a substance use disorder, that doesn’t mean you have failed as parent. It means your child has a genetic predisposition to addiction, and he or she needs to avoid addictive substances throughout life. It means your child may need more attention and support than other teens. Providing that support can be difficult. The extra effort it takes can be exhausting. Teens affected by addiction may act out, have conduct problems and show little desire to quit drinking or using. The behaviors can be frustrating, and parents can develop symptoms of depression or anxiety. You have to find support for yourself to be able to help your family. Consider seeking assistance from one of several organizations that assist parents or family members affected by addiction. Talking to others in situations similar to yours can be therapeutic and beneficial. Parents do not need to feel helpless if their loved one is suffering from addiction. They can encourage their teen to make healthy decisions, mandate that they attend treatment and support them in recovery.

Al-Anon and Nar-Anon

Al-Anon is composed of family members affected by a loved one’s problematic drinking, and Nar-Anon is composed of families affected by someone else’s illicit drug use. The free support group meetings are held multiple times each week in communities across the country.

Alateen

If you have other children who have been affected by a family member’s drinking, you should see if they’re interested in attending Alateen meetings. Alateen is composed of teens affected by a sibling, parent or other family member’s problem drinking. Meetings are often held at locations near Al-Anon meetings.

Parents of Addicted Loved Ones

Parents of Addicted Loved Ones is a Christian-based nonprofit for mothers and fathers of children with substance use disorders. Parents from any faith background are welcome at meetings. The primary goal of the organization is to educate and support parents. The nonprofit holds weekly meetings in 16 states across the country and semi-monthly telephone meetings available cost-free to anyone.