Talking to Kids about Drugs

No parent wants their child addicted to drugs, or even experimenting with them. Even though it's something you don't want to think about, it's something that needs to be addressed—even if your child seems like a "good kid." Often, children grow up confused about drugs, and end up learning information from their peers at school. It's better for you as a parent to give your own input and advice. Parents play a big part in kids staying away from drugs. The trick is, how do you do that? Follow these tips, and hopefully it will be a little bit easier.

• Acknowledge and explain: Don't pretend that drugs don't exist—your kids will find out from someone else if they don't find out from you. Make sure they understand the difference between medical and prescription drugs, legal drugs and alcohol, and illegal drugs. Also let them know your stance on each kind (i.e. do you feel that it's okay to drink alcohol even as an adult?).
• Talk about the health issues: Some of the best anti-drug information is letting kids know what kind of health problems come out from taking drugs. Talk about what will happen to their body, inside and out, and the kind of danger that can happen because of that. Also, research some statistics (e.g. smoking-related deaths) and share them with your children.
• Know who their friends are: Almost all kids first try drugs or alcohol through their friends. Encourage your child to invite his or her friends over to your house, and try to get to know them and see what kind of influence they are having on your child. If you feel that your child has bad friends, gently explain your worries but don't be pushy—you don't want your kid to get angry and rebel.
• Educate yourself: Do you know which drugs are the biggest problems in your area or within your child's age group? Research online and become familiar with the latest slang and street talk for drugs. That way you'll be better able to talk to your child about them, and perhaps even overhear if your child is talking about them to other people.

Drugs can be a scary issue, but remember how important it is to talk about it. Whatever you do, try not to seem pushy or condemning because that often provokes teenage rebellion. Most importantly, make sure your child knows that you love him or her, no matter what. Let your children know that you are there for them, and they will more likely turn to you when they are pressured or in trouble.