I want to educate 
my middle school children
about avoiding drugs.
Is it too early?
It is never too early for drug prevention!
Even primary grade children benefit from learning to keep their bodies healthy. Teaching respect for our bodies at an early age is a protection against later drug abuse.
Public school polls reported that two-thirds of fourth graders wished their parents would talk more to them about drugs!
Generally, when children leave primary grades, they enter a larger, less protected school environment.
Preteens are gradually growing more independent, a process which continues through adolescence.
Toward the end of this period, children begin to make conscious decisions about their lives.
This is a critical time to develop the ability to make healthy and informed decisions about their future.
Children are very vulnerable at this age.
Those with low self-esteem, problems at home and low academic performance in school are most likely to begin early experimentation with drugs.
They can become easy prey to the lure of selling or using drugs.
Early experimentation, before the age of 15, is correlated with later drug addiction.
Children are very vulnerable at this age.
Those with low self-esteem, problems at home and low academic performance in school are most likely to begin early experimentation with drugs.
They can become easy prey to the lure of selling or using drugs.
Early experimentation, before the age of 15, is correlated with later drug addiction.
At this age of development, kids are fascinated with how things work.
They want to know how their bodies operate.
They are curious about what happens to their bodies when drugs are ingested.
Give them the facts about drug use.
Explain how anything taken to excess — even aspirin — can be dangerous.
Talk to your preteens about the ways that drugs and alcohol are promoted in the media. Use opportunities that arise, such as song lyrics, television shows or advertising that suggests drugs, tobacco and alcohol are glamorous.
For example, the generalized use of alcohol in many television dramas (Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal and others) portray professionals drinking routinely as a ritualized ending to a workday.
Point these subliminal messages out to them and separate myth from reality. Emphasize decision-making, legality and alternative ways to relax and unwind.
Look at your own styles of coping and be willing to talk about these, too! If you have a beer or two every evening, be willing to examine the issue.
Are there other ways to unwind?
Point out that alcohol and tobacco use are illegal for children to protect their developing bodies.
Use of alcohol and tobacco will be a choice reserved for when they become adults.
Parents do make a difference. The number one reason children give for not taking drugs is that a caring adult will object!
Children who have positive and strong connections with a caretaker (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or mentor) do not want to jeopardize that relationship.
Given a strong relationship with your child, the following points will help protect your child from drug abuse:
1. Help your child deal with peer pressure: Be willing to listen and talk about their needs to belong and fit in. Help them rehearse strategies for saying “no” or walking away from others at school who may be pressuring them to experiment with drugs, alcohol or tobacco.
2. Help your child build positive social relationships: Friendships are very important to children at this age. Stay connected to their social lives. Know their friends. If your child’s friends use drugs, it is highly likely that your child will use, too. Be aware of unsupervised situations. Help your child resist friendships that are not in his or her best interest and develop activities and friendships that are.
3. Help your child deal with disappointments and improve coping skills. Talk with your child about sad and angry feelings that arise due to things that are not working out in life. Work to help them deal with frustration and rejection in a positive, rather than self-destructive, manner.
Point out the difference between constructive versus destructive coping. Support areas where they can build on experiences of success.
4. Help your child build self-esteem. Achieving some form of academic and social success are critical for teens. Help your child succeed at school. Address learning problems or difficulties with a teacher and work out a program of study that will assure they meet realistic goals.
Find extracurricular activities that give your child a sense of accomplishment and acceptance in a group. For example, swimming, karate, girl scouts or other activities. These areas can buffer social rejections they may experience at school.
5. Identify activities that help them relax and feel good, such as music, art or sports activities. Help your kids develop healthy outlets to release pressure.
Point out that leisure activities are ways to cope with stress. Help them identify how they can feel good in a healthy way.
6. Create honest and open discussions about drugs. But first you’ll have to become informed! Learn facts about drugs through school programs your child is attending or other sources.
Let your kids know they can come to you for help and information!
If your child does make a mistake, help him or her get back on track. Do not condemn them for their behavior. Instead, condemn the behavior and continue to believe in them. Remember, you are your child’s strongest ally against drugs!
For more detailed information, see Substance Abuse.
Although such topics as the use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs are emotionally charged, they are a natural and necessary part of the communicating process you have with your child. Clearly, the best time for such a conversation about drugs is when your child brings up the topic. As hard as this may be to believe, some children actually do this. For most parents, however, it’s not this easy and it may become your responsibility to raise the subject. You’ll want to pick a time and a place that make it possible for you and your child to be comfortable and undisturbed.
Remember that the purpose of this encounter is communication, so listen to everything your child has to say. Observe his or her nonverbal cues – they will let you know how he or she feels about having this conversation. Listening means paying special attention to what is said, both verbally and non-verbally.
Communicating with your child about drug use should not be a one-time occurrence or a one-way process. Conversations about tobacco, alcohol and other drugs are not like inoculations that can protect children for all time. Talk with your children often as they grow from preschool to adulthood.
It is important to keep in mind that if a child shows any of the following symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that he or she is using drugs. The presence of some of these behaviors could be the product of adolescent stress. Others may be symptoms of depression or a host of other problems. Whatever the cause, they may warrant attention, especially if they persist or it they occur in a cluster. A mental health professional or a caring and concerned adult may help a youngster successfully overcome a crisis and develop more effective coping skills, often preventing further problems.
The key is change; it is important to watch for any significant changes in your child’s physical appearance, personality, attitude or behavior.
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Loss of appetite, increase in appetite, any changes in eating habits, unexplained weight loss or gain.
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Slowed or staggering walk; poor physical coordination.
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Inability to sleep, awake at unusual times, unusual laziness.
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Red, watery eyes; pupils larger or smaller than usual; blank stare.
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Cold, sweaty palms; shaking hands.
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Puffy face, blushing or paleness.
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Smell of substance on breath, body or clothes.
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Extreme hyperactivity; excessive talkativeness.
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Runny nose; hacking cough.
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Needle marks on lower arm, leg or bottom of feet.
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Nausea, vomiting or excessive sweating.
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Tremors or shakes of hands, feet or head.
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Irregular heartbeat.
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Change in overall attitude/personality with no other identifiable cause.
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Changes in friends; new hang-outs; sudden avoidance of old crowd; doesn’t want to talk about new friends; friends are known drug users.
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Change in activities or hobbies.
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Drop in grades at school or performance at work; skips school or is late for school.
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Change in habits at home; loss of interest in family and family activities.
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Difficulty in paying attention; forgetfulness.
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General lack of motivation, energy, self-esteem, “I don’t care” attitude.
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Sudden over sensitivity, temper tantrums, or resentful behavior.
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Moodiness, irritability, or nervousness.
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Silliness or giddiness.
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Paranoia
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Excessive need for privacy; unreachable.
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Secretive or suspicious behavior.
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Car accidents.
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Chronic dishonesty.
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Unexplained need for money, stealing money or items.
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Change in personal grooming habits.
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Possession of drug paraphernalia.
Marijuana: Glassy, red eyes; loud talking and inappropriate laughter followed by sleepiness; a sweet burnt scent; loss of interest, motivation; weight gain or loss.
Alcohol: Clumsiness; difficulty walking; slurred speech; sleepiness; poor judgment; dilated pupils; possession of a false ID card.
Depressants: (including barbiturates and tranquilizers) Seems drunk as if from alcohol but without the associated odor of alcohol; difficulty concentrating; clumsiness; poor judgment; slurred speech; sleepiness; and contracted pupils.
Stimulants: Hyperactivity; euphoria; irritability; anxiety; excessive talking followed by depression or excessive sleeping at odd times; may go long periods of time without eating or sleeping; dilated pupils; weight loss; dry mouth and nose.
Inhalants: (Glues, aerosols, and vapors) Watery eyes; impaired vision, memory and thought; secretions from the nose or rashes around the nose and mouth; headaches and nausea; appearance of intoxication; drowsiness; poor muscle control; changes in appetite; anxiety; irritability; an unusual number of spray cans in the trash.
Hallucinogens: Dilated pupils; bizarre and irrational behavior including paranoia, aggression, hallucinations; mood swings; detachment from people; absorption with self or other objects, slurred speech; confusion.
Heroin: Needle marks; sleeping at unusual times; sweating; vomiting; coughing and sniffling; twitching; loss of appetite; contracted pupils; no response of pupils to light.
Tobacco/Nicotine: Smell of tobacco; stained fingers or teeth.
Tags: drug, school, signs, substance.abuse, teens
