What are the risks?
We’re glad you’ve decided to find out as much as you can about how to help keep your child from using substances. Parents play a critical role in their child’s decision-making process, and the more you know, the more you can help.
We parents are the most important role models in our children’s lives. And with children experimenting with illegal substances at younger ages than ever, there is crucial information you need to know, even if your child is still in elementary school or younger.
Dangers of Adolescent Substance Use
While we may not have realized it 30 years ago, adolescent drug and alcohol use is associated with serious health consequences. According to recent research, teens who choose to use illegal substances may face:
Effects on Brain Development
- The brain goes through dynamic change during adolescence, and alcohol can seriously damage long- and short-term growth processes. Frontal lobe development and the refinement of pathways and connections continue through the late teens or early twenties.
- Damage from alcohol at this time can be long-term and irreversible. In addition, short-term or moderate drinking impairs learning and memory far more in youth than adults. (From the American Medical Association web site)
- The feelings and impaired behavior that signal intoxication in the adult brain are delayed in the adolescent brain. This can lead to over consumption and even alcohol poisoning which is potentially fatal.
- An adolescent brain that is exposed to alcohol and other chemicals is more susceptible to depression and other mental illnesses.
Alcohol and Drug-Related Teen Deaths
Alcohol/drug use is associated with the leading causes of death among young people, including:
- car crashes
- suicide
- homicide
- alcohol poisoning
- drug overdoses
A 16-year-old is more likely to die from an alcohol-related incident than from any other cause.
Sexual Violence
Sexually-Transmitted Diseases
Unintended Pregnancy
Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
Every day that teenagers choose not to use illegal substances improves their chances of avoiding alcohol, drug or tobacco addiction and helps to prevent many irreversible consequences of using chemical substances.
What INCREASES the Risk?
- Early age of first use
- Feeling unloved by family, low mutual attachment by parents, ineffective parenting
- Chaotic home environment
- Poor social coping skills
- Perceived external approval of drug use (peers, family, community)
- Affiliation with deviant peers
- Working at a job or having above-average disposable income
- Past or current drug or alcohol problems within the family
- Past or current family emotional or physical abuse, neglect, or mental health issues (especially depression)
- Past or current sexual abuse
- Diagnosis of Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD,ADD)
What can REDUCE the Risk?
- Feeling connected with and valued by family and other significant adults
- Parental supervision and involvement with child’s activities
- High educational aspirations of parent and child
- Academic success
- Feeling connected with school and valuing academic achievement
- Strong bonds with social institutions (school, church, community)
- Personal disapproval of drug and alcohol use
- Personal belief that drug and alcohol use is dangerous and harmful
- Having parents who verbalize expectations about and consequences for using alcohol and other drugs
The Role of Depression and Anxiety in Substance Use
Although it is common for teens to experience frequent mood swings, your teen may be experiencing a form of depression if clusters of the following thoughts, feelings, and behaviors persist for two weeks or longer.
Prompt identification and treatment of depression can reduce its durations and severity. Look for the following signs:
- Sadness that won’t go away
- Sullen, silent, withdrawn behavior
- Persistent “boredom”
- Frequent vague, non-specific physical complaints such as headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches or tiredness
- Frequent absences from school or poor performance in school
- Outbursts of shouting, complaining or crying
- Unexplained irritability, anger, hostility; reckless or rebellious behavior
- Alcohol or substance abuse
- Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure
- Feelings of hopelessness/worthlessness
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Lack of interest in hanging out with friends
- Loss of interest in activities
- Social isolation, poor communication, difficulty with relationships
- Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
(Adapted from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publication)
Food for thought
In a national poll, two-thirds of 4th graders said they wished their parents would talk more to them about drugs.