Substance Abuse

Combating Underage Drinking with the 6gs

How can I help my child avoid using and abusing alcohol?

A couple of guys on my team are using steroids. Are they really that dangerous?

As a parent, how can I help keep my child from using drugs?

How can I tell if my child is using marijuana?

My teenager has been acting very strange lately, should I have him tested for drugs?

What are inhalants and how are they dangerous?

What is it about cocaine that makes it so dangerous?

return to top

Combating Underage Drinking with the 6gs
		Time-pressed pediatricians have a new resource for surveying patients on the devastating problem of underage drinking. BY RICHARD B. HEYMAN, MD Click Here to download

return to top

How can I help my child avoid using and abusing alcohol?

Education about alcohol should begin early. Parents can help their children resist alcohol use in these ways:

• Give your child a sense of confidence. This is the best defense against peer pressure. Build your child's self-esteem with praise and avoid frequent criticism.
• Listen to what your child says. Pay attention, and be helpful during periods of loneliness or doubt.
• Know who your child's friends are and make a point to get to know them.
• Provide parental supervision. Don't allow your teen to attend parties where alcohol is being served. Insist that a parent be present at parties to supervise. Contact other parents to arrange alcohol-free social events.
• Offer a "free call home." Drinking and driving may lead to death. Make sure your child knows not to ride with a driver who has been drinking. Let him know that he can call home without fear of consequences that night. Discuss the incident the next day
• Help your child learn to handle strong emotions and feelings. Model ways to control stress, pain, or tension.
• Talk about things that are important issues for your child, including alcohol, drugs, and the need for peer-group acceptance.
• Encourage enjoyable and worthwhile outside things to do; avoid turning leisure time into chores.

Join your child in learning all you can about preventing alcohol abuse. Programs offered in schools, churches, and youth groups can help you both learn more about alcohol abuse.

return to top

A couple of guys on my team are using steroids. Are they really that dangerous?

You may have heard steroids called roids, juice, hype, or pump. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are powerful prescription drugs that some athletes use not for medical reasons, but as a way to boost athletic performance and build muscle and body mass. They work by acting like the body's natural male hormone, testosterone.

return to top

As a parent, how can I help keep my child from using drugs?

There are no guarantees that your child will not choose to use drugs, but as a parent, you can influence that decision by:

• not using drugs yourself
• providing guidance and clear rules about not using drugs
• spending time with your child sharing the good and the bad times

All of these are necessary to help your child grow up free from the problems of drug use.

return to top

How can I tell if my child is using marijuana?

Marijuana

Marijuana comes from the cannabis plant and looks like dried leaves. It is smoked either in a pipe or a hand-rolled cigarette, called a "joint." Other common names for marijuana are pot, weed, grass, herb, and reefer.

Marijuana is fairly easy for young people to get. It also tends to be the first illegal drug they try. After smoking marijuana, teens may go on to try "harder" drugs, such as cocaine and LSD.

Signs your child may be using marijuana

Your child:

• Has red eyes; uses eye drops a lot
• Is hungry often and even gains weight
• Is less motivated and has an "I don't care" attitude
• Withdraws from the family; spends more time in his or her room or away from home
• Forgets things; has trouble paying attention or communicating
• Buys things like CDs and T-shirts with pro-marijuana messages or symbols
• Starts missing school or shows a drop in school grades
• Has new friends and interests; gives up old hobbies, sports, or other activities

Some short-term effects of smoking marijuana include:

• Calm, relaxed, sleepy feeling
• Increased appetite
• Dry, bloodshot eyes; dry throat and mouth
• Increased heart rate
• Slowed reaction time
• Poor short-term memory
• Anxiety, panic attacks, or paranoia

Why young people try marijuana

return to top

My teenager has been acting very strange lately, should I have him tested for drugs?

If your teen suddenly becomes moody, is spending time with a different group of friends, or starts failing in school, you may wonder if drugs are to blame. While medically testing your teen for drug use may seem like a straightforward way to get an answer, it probably is not the best way.
Drug tests are not always reliable, and your teen may resent being tested. Other methods may be better. Through confidential interviews and questionnaires, your pediatrician can help assess whether your teen has a drug problem without resorting to lab tests.
If your teen does undergo a drug test, it should be voluntary. The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes involuntary drug tests. Consult your pediatrician if you believe your teen should be tested for drug use.

Types of drug testing

return to top

What are inhalants and how are they dangerous?

Hair spray. Gasoline. Spray paint. Glue. Typewriter correction fluid. You probably have at least one of these products in your home. There are over 1,000 inhalants—common products that are legal because they have a useful purpose. They are also safe when used for that purpose. But when young people misuse them by breathing them into their lungs, inhalants are poison.

Over time, the abuse of inhalants can cause severe permanent damage to the body, especially the brain. The scariest thing about inhalants is that your child could die from using them only once.

Effects of inhalants

return to top

What is it about cocaine that makes it so dangerous?

Many young people think that using cocaine is a symbol of status and success. They also think that trying cocaine is a step toward becoming an adult.

Cocaine causes the user's heart rate and blood pressure to increase. The more cocaine used, the more intense this becomes. For some people, even small amounts of cocaine can cause dangerous increases in heart rate and abnormal heart rhythms. When this happens, the heart may not be able to pump enough blood to the brain, and a cocaine user can die.

In young people, cocaine can cause:

• Emotional problems
• School problems
• Low motivation
• Isolation from friends or family
• Family conflicts

Some cocaine users even turn to stealing or prostitution to support this costly drug habit. Pregnant women who use cocaine may have miscarriages, or their babies may be born with severe birth defects.

Is cocaine addictive?

return to top