As much as you dislike the idea, there comes a stage in your tween’s life where he or she will want to start experimenting with drugs. If you keep a watchful eye on your tween, you may even be able to pick up a few signs that indicate they’re fiddling with harmful substances.
As a parent, it’s always a good idea to know the facts about substance abuse or why a child may want to start taking them. Create a safe environment for your tween and try to speak to them about the risks associated with taking drugs.
It’s perfectly natural to worry about a tween who takes drugs. However, instead of jumping to conclusions and automatically sending them away to a rehab centre, sit your tween down and try to find out why your child feels the need to turn to drugs rather than speaking to you about it.
A lot people take drugs such as cannabis to feel relaxed. There’s a chance that your child may be under a lot of pressure from school and is looking for a way to escape.
Others take drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy or amphetamines to boost their confidence. If you have a shy child, it’s likely that he or she turned to drugs to feel more confident and happy in social situations.
Legal highs are another option for teens. These are substances that have the same effects as drugs such as cocaine or ecstasy, but are not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Since they are structured differently, they cannot be officially classified as illegal drugs.
Legal highs are still risky for children to take because there isn’t much research on how they can affect a person who uses it. But, if they have the same psychological effects as drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy or cannabis, then it’s quite likely legal highs can be harmful.
Plenty of these drugs can become highly addictive after a couple of uses. That’s why it’s important for parents to educate themselves on the types of drugs out there.
