family health
Drugs & alcohol
Any sort of contact with drink, drugs or cigarettes is likely to arouse curiosity on some level. You need to provide your child with clear and consistent information, ensure they are tough enough to say 'no', and above all, to trust them.
Alcohol
Research shows that the number of young people aged 13 and younger who drink outnumber those who do not drink. Young people are also drinking more and drinking more often. 11-15 year olds drank twice as much in 2000 as they did in 1990.
The Drugslife Info website www.drugslife.info provides young people and their parents with information, advice and counselling. Go to the section on Frequently Asked Questions for strategies on dealing with alcohol misuse.
The Wrecked website, produced by the former Health Education Authority is aimed at young people between the ages of 16-21. It contains an interactive alcohol unit game, a true/false quiz about alcohol, and facts and figures on alcohol. www.wrecked.co.uk
For facts on teenage drinking, check out www.alcoholconcern.org.uk.
Smoking
One-third of children under 12 have experimented with smoking, with 11 per cent of 11-15 year-olds having at least one cigarette a week. Boys and girls are currently taking up smoking at a rate of 450 a day. A three-year study of hundreds of children found that one or two cigarettes, three or four times a week – or less - can be all that is required to make a child dependent on tobacco. A few other insights:
- The highest correlation is with parents who are also smokers.
- Teenagers often say smoking 'calms them down' or 'destresses' them.
www.mindbodysoul.gov.uk gives teenagers an idea of the health risks.
www.quit.org.uk offers advice on how to give up smoking.
Drugs
The secrecy of drug use makes it a far greater worry for parents, who may be unaware until their child has a habit. Signs your child may be on drugs include:
- excessive spending or borrowing of money, or stealing
- missing classes or entire days at school
- bad exam results or uncharacteristically poor schoolwork
- depression or severe mood swings
- unexplained sores, bruising or marks on the skin, especially around the mouth or nose
- secretive behaviour and withdrawal from family life
- poor personal hygiene and lack of interest in physical appearance
- heavy scents or colognes (to disguise odour of drug)
- wearing sunglasses (to hide dilated pupils or hollow eyes)
What to do
- Talk to your son or daughter.
- Find out more about what your child is using: each drug is different and is used for different reasons.
- Parents Against Drug Abuse has a helpline for support, contacts that you can visit for advice, and an army of people whose experience counts for more than anything else. Check www.btinternet.com/~padahelp/ for numbers in your area. Or ring: 0151 356 1996 (Admin) 0345 023 867 (Helpline).
- DrugScope is the UK's independent authority on drugs. Its website www.drugscope.org.uk provides links, information and advice.
- The Government website www.mindbodysoul.gov.uk offers some compelling reasons not to use drugs.
- For a teenage perspective try www.trashed.co.uk or www.thesite.org
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