Preventing Teen Drug Abuse: Strategies for Parents
When it comes to preventing drug addiction, adolescence can be a critical period. Several studies have documented the relationship between early exposure to alcohol and other drugs and the development of addictive behaviors later in life. Researchers have also noted that youth who refrain from using alcohol and other drugs are much more likely to live addiction-free lives.
A time of many transitions
One of the reasons that adolescence can be such a crucial time is that the risk of abusing drugs increases during transitional times – and the early teen years are among life’s most change-filled moments. For example, early adolescence is marked by the move from elementary school to middle school or junior high, while later adolescence includes significant biological changes, the challenges of high school, increased social interaction, and involvement with new friends and peer groups.
The adolescent years are often the time when most people are first presented with the opportunity to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
Because teens’ brains and sense of self often evolve at slower rates than their bodies do, individuals who “look like” adults on the outside are still equipped with more childlike means of dealing with stresses and pressures. These teens may feel overwhelmed by the challenges they are facing, and may turn to substance abuse to ease their anxiety and – depending upon their peer group – enhance their standing among friends and fellow students.
Compounding this problem is the fact that drugs and alcohol can disrupt brain functions even further, and can delay the normal developmental process. It should come as little surprise, then, that teens who use alcohol and other drugs are much more likely than their sober peers to exhibit behavior issues, have physical and health problems, become involved in the juvenile justice system, and perform worse in school
Programs prevent development of addictions
Addiction experts have developed a wide variety of programs that help increase the odds that families, schools, and communities can stay drug-free. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), programs that are identified as “science-validated” are particularly likely to be effective, as they have been subjected to rigorous evaluations, and their positive results have been independently verified.
NIDA categorizes science-validated approaches according to the following criteria:
- Universal programs address risk and protective factors common to all children in a given setting, such as a school or community.
- Selective programs target groups of children and teens who have factors that further increase their risk of drug abuse.
- Indicated programs are designed for youth who have already begun abusing drugs.
The organization has compiled a considerable amount of information about effective drug-prevention programs in a publication entitled Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders, which may be downloaded at no cost from the NIDA website.
Drug use among adolescents and teenagers remains a serious problem, but recent news indicates that decades of outreach efforts are paying off. The 2007 edition of the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future Survey revealed that illicit drug use among U.S. teens declined by 24 percent between 2001 and 2007.
Prevention is the key – do your part today to help reduce these numbers even further tomorrow! |
