Alcohol Abuse Advice

How to Properly Prevent Teenage Substance Abuse

It is essential that parents and other individuals that work directly with teenagers know and understand how to properly prevent teenage substance abuse. Abuse of various types of substances such as alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription medications, stimulants, and even certain over-the-counter drugs is quite prevalent among the teenagers of today.

A study conducted on teens to the age of seventeen was conducted and it was found that over one million individuals in this age group have some type of dependence on substances, and another million are said to have an inclination towards addiction involving alcohol. These statistics are staggering! In this guide, you will learn how to properly prevent teenage substance abuse.

1. If you are an adult that is dedicated to the pursuit of learning how to properly prevent teenage substance abuse, it is important to know that the first step to assisting our youth is to learn the symptoms that may indicate that an issue is occurring. There are numerous signs of potential drug and alcohol abuse.

These signs may include social isolation, personality changes, a loss of interest in activities and people that once drew the attention of the teenager, weight loss, a drop in grades, and several other symptoms. You may research these symptoms online, check out books at your local library, purchase books from your local bookstore, and even consult a medical professional that works with youth that suffer from a dependency to various types of substances.

2. The next way to properly prevent teenage substance abuse is to learn as much as you possibly can about the various types of substances that teens find attractive. You should research alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine, crack, crystal meth, and various other types of drugs. You should learn the “street names�, the symptoms associated with each and other vitally important information. By learning about the drugs available today, you can potentially stop an issue that your teen may experience before it becomes an addiction.

3. It is important to take steps in your home that will deter substance abuse. Many teens find over-the-counter cough and cold medications, as well as prescription medications very appealing. They believe since the medications are “legal� that they do not pose a threat to their health. You can prevent the abuse of medications by keeping any and all that you have in the home locked up.

4. The next step to successfully preventing teenage substance abuse is to ensure that you educate the teenager in your life. They should be taught about the drugs on the street and in the home, and be informed of the mental and physiological dangers that may occur as a result of taking the substances in a recreational manner.

You should set clear guidelines and expectations with the teenager so that they know and completely understand that indulging in recreational drug activity is restricted, and that if it is indulged in, corrective action will be put into place. You could mention limiting their freedom, restricting their dating, or even integrating the use of a drug rehabilitation facility.

5. If you feel as if a teenager is already indulging in recreational drug use, you should seek medical assistance immediately. This is a successful strategy to decrease the possibility that teenage substance abuse will continue. This may be a difficult step, but it is a productive step.

There are many steps to properly preventing teenage substance abuse. If you follow the steps listed here, you will likely deter the teenager in your life from beginning the dangerous cycle of substance abuse.