Myths about Teens, Alcohol and Other
Drugs
1. ”My kids are good kids. They won't get into alcohol or
other drugs.”
2. ”They’ll grow out of it and be ok.”
3. ”We live in the suburbs. Drugs are a city problem.”
4. ”I’m teaching them to drink responsibly.”
5. ”I can’t stop my kids from doing the same things I did at
their age.”
6. ”Weed isn’t that harmful.”
7. ”If I set limits, my kids won’t be popular.”
Teens in suburbs use illegal drugs just as much as teens in
cities. -FACT In Massachusetts, urban and suburban youth use
drugs in about the same numbers. "three ingredients needed
for drug use—money, cell phones, and transportation."
-Recent graduate of a suburban high school 2003 - “Youth
Risk Behavior Survey” of the freshman class at a
Massachusetts suburban high school
Marijuana use has been linked to mental illness. -FACT
“Marijuana absolutely affects motivation. A lot of the kids
who aren’t graduating this year are the ones who are hooked
on pot. Marijuana becomes the focus of what a kid does and
who he is.” – High School Substance Abuse Counselor
“The scientific evidence is now clear that marijuana use
during teenage years increases the risk of mental illness
later in life. If you smoke pot, you quadruple your chances
of developing mental illness later on.” – Dr. John Knight,
Children’s Hospital Boston
Share new information about marijuana use with your teen.
When children say: "But you (Parent) smoked marijuana, why
can't I?" Say: “It was a mistake and I shouldn’t have done
it. As my son or daughter you can go out and repeat my
mistakes, but my hope is that you don’t have to.”
How to set limits:
Remind your teen that many kids aren’t using alcohol or
other drugs.
State the rules, explain the consequences and follow
through.
Catch your teenager “being good.” Reward him for keeping the
rules, for
achievements and for contributing to the family and the
community.
Keep discussing why alcohol and drugs are not allowed.
Get to know your teens’ friends and their parents.
|
Child |
Parent |
| “That’s not fair.
You’re the only parent who won’t let me…” |
“I am sorry you
feel that way but that is the rule in this house.” |
| “I
didn’t know… “ |
“You do
now.” |
| “I was holding it
for a friend… “ |
“You’re still
responsible.” |
| “It was my first
time… “ |
“Bad things can
happen the first time.” |
| “That
teacher/person in charge is out to get me… “ |
“That is
irrelevant.” |
| “Don’t you trust
me? … “ |
“My trust meter is
low right now. Here’s what you can do to raise it.” |
Tell kids that inhalants can cause permanent brain damage or
death, even on the first use. Supervise the use of
household, shop and art products. Teach kids to read labels
and treat inhalants as poisons.Experimenting with drugs can
have devastating effects
