If you are concerned your child has been using drugs - what can you do?
This is a question with as many different answers as there are families. You must make your own decisions, but this information will help you.

Why are there different answers?

• There are many different kinds of drugs - some, like tobacco are legal, others like ecstasy and cannabis are not
• Different drugs have different effects on people; some of these effects are more dangerous than others
• Some drugs are used in more unsafe ways than others (for example, injecting drugs is more dangerous than sniffing or smoking them)
• Some drugs are more socially acceptable than others (for example, alcohol)
• Every child is different and the reasons why they might turn to drugs will be varied. The things which will help them to stop using drugs will also be varied
  

Parents differ in the way they want to handle drug taking by their children. Some will be totally opposed to all drug taking, others may be tolerant of some drug use, or resigned to their children using drugs.

What do You know about drugs?
Most parents are not well informed about the effects of various drugs; there is a lot of confusing and inaccurate information around.
We can only indicate the most common effects of different drugs because so much depends on the individual who is taking them and the setting in which they are taken. For example, the same person taking the same quantity of LSD could have totally different experiences depending on whether they were with friends, strangers or alone.
Also, there are no standards of "quality control" for illegal drugs; they may be mixed with other substances to increase profits.
Having reliable information will help you understand the subject and build your own confidence in talking about drugs with your child. Ultimately however, the soundness of your family relationships will be more important than a sound knowledge of drugs.
There are no hard or soft drugs, no good or bad drugs. It all depends on what people do with them and the circumstances under which drugs are used.

Why do young people take drugs - what can I do about it?
Everyone is an individual and will have their own particular reasons for using drugs. Parents trying to deal with drug use by their children will need to listen to their child's explanations to form a rounded view.

The opportunity arose and the youngster just tried it
Don't panic! Although parents may want to show their concern very strongly and show the child how upset they are, they should think carefully about how to do this in the most constructive manner. In this example there may be no long-term problem. A discussion, warning and some monitoring of behaviour may be appropriate. Just because a young person has tried a drug does not make them and 'addict'. Over-reaction by parents and other adults may turn what was an isolated incident into attention seeking behaviour or a focus for isolation.

Drug taking can be seen as exciting and daring, and far from being deterred by warnings, a young person may try it for the risks involved
So while it is important to stress the risks, the information given must be factually accurate. For example, wild statements about how using cannabis leads to heroin use carry little weight especially if a young person knows others who only smoke cannabis

Some young people will use drugs or solvents in an attempt to blot out existing problems. They may be sad after a divorce in the family or problems may be more deep rooted - a response to ill treatment, abuse or neglect at home, school or outside. They may need extra support to get over their feelings of loss or guilt without the help of drugs. Continued use of drugs may temporarily disguise their problems, but in the long run will generally make things worse. However, it doesn't seem like that to them because drugs can be such a good escape at the time. Getting them to recognize that drugs may not help, and, indeed, may make things worse is crucial; if they don't accept this, they are not likely to stop. Similarly, drug taking may be a response to loneliness, feeling inadequate or lacking self-esteem or confidence. If so it is important to find this out and help the young person to overcome these difficulties without turning to drugs. Teenagers often have problems with self-image and may need reassurance from parents that they are loved.

What about the effects of longer term use?
If the use of drugs involves a group of young people, then providing alternative leisure activities which are more interesting and more fun than drugs seems to be the best approach. Trips away and sport can be good ways of making drug taking less interesting and therefore less likely. Parents shouldn't just leave this to Youth Workers, but get involved themselves, perhaps starting projects with the help of Youth services. For those few young people who are dependent on drugs, a lot of careful work may be needed. It isn't a good idea to focus too much on the use of drugs, but rather on the other problems and difficulties that the young person has. If they can be helped with these problems then they will probably stop, or at least reduce, their drugs intake. In the meantime, it is sensible to give advice on how to reduce damage to health.

Your Legal Responsibilities
Most parents are aware that their sons or daughters might be fined or imprisoned for possessing or supplying illegal drugs, but many don't realise that it is possible to fall foul of the law, even without touching drugs. Just allowing anyone on your premises to produce or to supply illegal drugs to another person is in itself an offence. So if a parent knows that their son or daughter is sharing illegal drugs with a friend in their house, but does nothing to stop it, then the parent has committed an offence.

Parent Support Group
D.M.A.D (Dads and Mums Against Drugs), this is a parent support group, who regularly meet together.
Contact No: 07781 110787 or 07781 423432