DRUG ABUSE

 Definition:  Drug abuse can simply be said as, the use of drugs illegally without the doctor's description.

In this modern lLif many people live be what they see and hear most especially by imitation not knowing the effects or safety precautions of what they do. Below are ways of tackling drug abuse:


Prevention: parents can

prevent drug abuse! Parents

are the best protection

youngsters can have against

drug abuse. Prevention is the

process, which builds into

children a resistance to

abusing drugs, so that drug

use never begins. Prevention

is a simple concept but it

requires constant work to be

successful. Prevention is a

positive process. It is a

process, which cannot be

started too soon. Research

indicates that children and

teenagers diagnosed with

ADHD are at greater risk to

alcohol and drug abuse than

children and teenagers in the

normal population.
The

following are important

elements in helping kids resist

becoming involved with drugs

and alcohol:

1. Love and affectionate as the

child grows.

2. Consistent and fair

discipline.

3. Open channels of

communication for thoughts

and feelings.

4. Opportunities for successful

experiences at home and in

school.

5. A stable family atmosphere

(family time together, family

rituals).

6. Tolerance of the child's

mistakes (no put-downs).

7. Models of strong, thoughtful

and feeling adults.

8. Accurate information about

the problems of growing up

today (sexuality, drugs, crime,

etc.)

There is NOTHING more

important in preventing drug

abuse than spending time

with your children. Take time

to do what they enjoy, to

share some skills, to build

family rituals and rapport.

What else can be done?

Educate yourself, have enough

facts to clarify your point of

view, and talk to your

children. Unfortunately, many

parents wait until after their

children are involved with

drugs or alcohol to sit down

with them and talk. Don't

make this discussion a

onetime thing; children and

teenagers need to be

constantly reminded of where

their parents stand. They also

need parents who will listen

without being critical and

without over reacting.

Finally, your attitude and use

of drugs (including alcohol

and tobacco) will influence

your children. Children learn

more by watching what their

parents do than they learn by

what their parents say.

Children need models of

strong, responsible adults who

are aware of their own

chemical use. One reason

we're seeing younger and

younger children use alcohol

and drugs is that they are

"second generation" users,

simply modeling their parents

behavior.

Zero tolerance for drug/

alcohol use in our children

and teenagers is the most

reasonable stance for their

long-term well being. Part of

prevention is taking

reasonable action at the

earliest possible time. This

means a parent should be

vigilant to the subtle signs and

symptoms as discussed in the

preceding article and take

immediate action when use is

suspected.

Common drugs of abuse By

far, the three most common

drugs of abuse for teens are

cigarettes, alcohol and

marijuana. If that isn't bad

enough, use of all three

substances nearly triples from

junior high to high school.

Even worse, adolescents with

ADHD have an approximately

35 percent greater likelihood

of becoming involved with

illicit substances. As parents

of children with ADHD the

more knowledge you have the

more you can help your child

in both a preventative and

treatment manner.

According to statistics, about

one in four adolescents report

being a current smoker. Boys

and girls reported similar

frequency of use. Regular

alcohol use is reported less

frequently than regular

cigarette use. Slightly less

than one in five adolescents

say they drink alcohol

(including beer and wine)

more than one time per

month. Almost 10 percent

admitted to drinking at least

once per week. The highest

levels of alcohol use are found

among youth living in the

suburbs. Approximately 25

percent of all adolescents

report having smoked

marijuana at least once in

their lives and about 19

percent report using one or

more times in the previous

month. Approximately one in

five teenagers report regular

use of marijuana.

Figures indicate alcohol use is

sometimes tolerated by

parents, especially those of

older teens. If that's the case,

parents should think again! In

small doses, like all

depressants, alcohol has a

calming effect but long-term

heavy use affects the liver,

muscles, bonus, digestive

tract, heart and brain. For

some, alcohol can provide an

easy escape from dealing with

boredom, fears, depression,

symptoms of ADHD, and

frustration. The major

problem with alcohol,

however, is that teenagers

and alcohol don't mix.

Impulsive and easily

influenced by their peers,

teenagers often underestimate

the seriousness of driving

while intoxicated. They are

inexperienced as to how

alcohol affects perception,

coordination and judgment.

One quarter of all young

people have reported smoking

marijuana at least once. Long-

term studies indicate

marijuana can cause serious

physical and mental problems.

Of particular concern are the

effects of marijuana on young

people who smoke while their

bodies and minds are still

rapidly developing.

Marijuana, like alcohol, can

affect a person's memory,

driving ability and school

performance. It is particularly

dangerous for an impulsive

teenager to be using

marijuana. Would you care if

you found out that the driver

of car you were riding in was

high on marijuana? What

about your son or daughter?

Steps to solving a drug

problem:

1. Identify the problem in

your home. If you are unsure,

but suspect of a problem,

consult a trusted professional.

It is often difficult to tell if a

teenager is abusing

substances. We have seen

families where the parents

were medical professionals,

yet a substantial alcohol/drug

problem was completely

missed.

2. Talk with your teenager

about your concerns. Listen to

what he or she has to say.

Your teenager may become

very angry, defensive,

noncommunicative, hostile or

disgusted. Don't be

intimidated. Most teenagers

when confronted will deny or

grossly minimize a problem. If

your teenager refuses to talk

about a drug problem and you

are still concerned you must

act because a teenager with a

drug problem won't take the

first step. Take your teenager

to a trusted professional

(physician, psychologist, etc.)

for an assessment. Your

actions must convince your

child that you mean business.

3. Put your plans into action!

Firm rules must be set. As a

parent, you need to recognize

you can't stop your adolescent

from using drugs if they really

want to. However, you can

control drug usage in some

environments (like your

home) and you can be a major

reason for their deciding to

stop using drugs. Research

clearly shows parent/family

connectedness and parental

presence (before school, after

school, dinner and bedtime)

are definite protective factors

in the use of alcohol and

drugs.

Finally, because drug usage is

often a complex problem,

many parents find outside

professional support is

essential. Trained and

experienced family physicians

or psychologists in the

treatment of teenage

substance use are the best

sources of help. Though the

road to success and drug-free

living is sometimes painfully

long and difficult, we have

personally witnessed many

successes.