Recognizing the Warning Signs: How to Know If Your Kid is Using Drugs or Alcohol

It’s the moment that all parents dread when their children reach their adolescent years – the moment that they start to wonder, “Is my child using drugs or alcohol?” Maybe you are noticing signs of a sudden change of attitude or a decline in your child’s grades at school – whatever the reason, substance abuse is a common cause of worry among parents of adolescents. It is important to know the warning signs and to create an open dialogue with your children when you notice strange behavior.

Warning Signs of Teenage Substance Abuse

1.       Sudden Change in Behavior or Attitude

I know what you are thinking – They are teenagers. Of course they have sudden changes in attitude. Fair enough, but this is one of those warning signs that can be brushed off by parents for that very reason. Pay close attention to your child’s behavior and talk to them when you notice these changes. Maybe it’s just a typical teenage mood swing, but there could easily be a larger issue at hand.

2.       Decline in School Performance

Did your child go from being an honor roll student to barely skating by in their classes? This is a sign that your teenager is struggling with something – maybe it is substance abuse, or maybe it is another issue such as depression. Pay attention and always let your child know that you are there for support.

·         Another thing to pay attention to is your child’s attendance in school. Are there school absences that you were unaware of? This is a definite sign of troubled behavior.

3.       Withdrawal

If your child becomes withdrawn from interaction with you while at home and starts to react in a negative manner to your attempts at interaction, this could be a warning sign of substance abuse, depression, or a dangerous combination of both.

·         When teenagers become involved with alcohol or drugs, it can cause them to withdraw from their parents out of fear that they will know what they are up to.

·         Withdrawal can also be a result of substance abuse induced depression or the ‘I don’t care’ mindset that the use of drugs and alcohol in teenagers can cause.

4.       New Friends and/or Decreased Interaction with Usual Friends

Of course, there is nothing wrong with your teenager making new friends and it is totally normal for some friendships to fade out. However, if you notice that your teenager’s usual friends aren’t coming around anymore and you’ve yet to meet any of your child’s new friends, you may want to dig a little bit deeper into seeing who your child is spending their time with. Your child’s circle of friends is a huge influence to their adolescent years.

5.       Severe Weight Loss or Weight Gain

There are certain drugs that can cause rapid weight loss and certain drugs that can cause weight gain due to the effects that these drugs have on your appetite. Any dramatic fluctuation in your teenager’s weight should not be taken lightly. However, all drugs effect people differently so just because your teenager isn’t experiencing drastic fluctuations in their weight, doesn’t mean they aren’t using.

6.       Missing Items around the House

No parent ever wants to suspect their child of stealing, but if you are noticing any of the above warning signs and things are starting to come up missing around the house, your child could be in serious trouble. Items that may come up missing could include –

·         Money from your purse or wallet

·         Prescription medications

·         Expensive items such as jewelry

7.       Strange Behavior When They Come Home at Night

When your teenager comes in from a night out with their friends, do you notice any of these behaviors?

·         Hat pulled down to cover their eyes; lack of eye contact

·         Excessive use of chewing gum or cologne/perfume

·         Avoiding interaction/going straight to their room and shutting the door

These could all be warning signs that your teenager may be abusing drugs or alcohol. Talk to your kids on a regular basis about the dangers of substance abuse and keep them educated about all of the harmful effects.

The Walton County Prevention Coalition is dedicated to educating parents and adolescents about the importance of preventing substance abuse in our youth. Knowing the warning signs and paying close attention to the behavior of teenagers is one of the most important factors in preventing the use of drugs and alcohol in teens. What are you doing to educate your children? 

Facts and Statistics about Teenage Smoking That Your Kid Will Listen To

Smoking is a tough subject when it comes to substance abuse prevention. Tobacco companies are getting more creative than ever at targeting the young audience in their marketing efforts. It is important to educate our youth on the dangers and negative effects of smoking. Here are some facts and statistics that your kid is likely to listen to.

9 Teenage Smoking Facts and Statistics

1.       Nicotine use during adolescence negatively affects brain development. Does your teenager have big college plans? Not if they don’t have the grades to make the cut! Fill them in on the negative effects that tobacco use can have on their brain development.

2.       Smoking leads to poor physical performance from decreased lung function.If your child dreams about being the star of the football or softball team then they may be interested to know that smoking can hinder their performance on the field and prevent them from accomplishing their goals.

3.       Smoking can fry dopamine receptors, decreasing your sense of pleasure, memory, thinking and awareness.How do you like the sound of that? Exactly. The teenage years are meant to be some of the best of our lives – smoking can take away from the joy of adolescence and hinder your ability to retain memorable moments.

4.       16 million people in the US live with smoking related disfigurements and diseases.

Oh, you didn’t know that smoking could cause these types of adverse reactions? These are the things that we need to be educating our teenagers about.

5.       1,300 people die per day from smoking, which means 9,100 people per week.

This is a disturbing statistic to say the least. What does your teenager want to be when they grow up? If the answer isn’t “just another one of these statistics,” then smoking has no place in their adolescent life.

6.       For every vine video you watch, someone dies – tobacco-related deaths happen every 6.5 seconds. Now this is a statistic that your teenager can relate to and hopefully learn from. Is a cigarette really worth someone dying every 6.5 seconds?

7.       Approximately 90% of smokers began smoking before the age of 18.

A common misconception among teenagers is that just because they smoke occasionally with their buddies, doesn’t mean they are going to smoke when they grow up – that is a dangerous mindset, according to this statistic.

8.       Teenagers who continue to smoke into adulthood can develop infertility and impotence issues later in life.

This statistic can especially hit home with young girls who have been dreaming of becoming a mother since they were little girls – smoking can turn that dream into a nightmare. Is a cigarette worth losing sight of that dream?

9.       Smoking causes multiple immediate effects that can be detrimental to your image and physical appearance. Teenagers should ask themselves these questions –

·         Do you like talking to someone who has bad breath?

·         Do you think having yellow teeth is attractive?

·         Do you want to be coughing and hacking up phlegm during your movie date with the cute girl in your Algebra class?

·         Do you want people to avoid you because your clothes and hair reek of cigarette smoke?

10.   What does dog urine and a pack of cigarettes have in common?

Ammonia. Don’t know what this is? Well, it is a gas that is found in dog pee and, you guessed it, that cigarette that you are smoking because you think it makes you look cool. Think again.

The Walton County Prevention Coalition prides itself in working towards efforts of creating a Tobacco-Free Florida. Tobacco isn’t to be ignored when it comes to substance abuse in our youth, being that tobacco use contributes to the leading causes of death in our country. Talk to your kids about smoking and keep them informed on all of the horrifying statistics surrounding tobacco use.