By: Kelly Wecksell

Elementary school classroom

12 Ways to Educate

Children about Drugs

Here are 12 points regarding how to educate your kids. Then we’ll look at how to keep your kids off drugs.

1. Talk to them about drugs.

2. Start educating children at an early age.

3. Research the facts about drugs.

4. Keep an open line of communication.

5. Define addiction for your children.

6. Define what a drug is for your children.

7. Be strong in your own viewpoint about drugs.

8. Know your children’s friends.

9. Discuss with your kids what TV and movies really are.

10. Give them a free drug education kit they can review themselves.

11. Praise your kids for what they do right!

12. If you are abusing drugs yourself, get help.

How Kids Get Into Drugs

Now, the whole reason for educating the kids about drugs is to keep them off of drugs, right?

Well, it might be a good idea to take a look at how kids get into drugs. We all know about the peer pressure to try this or that drug, to fit in or be cool.  But sometimes it goes deeper than that…

No one really likes problems – especially the ones that keep you up all night.  People take different avenues to avoid problems. Sometimes you can look them right in the eye and they go away.  Sometimes they just seem insurmountable.  Sometimes one thinks they can make them go away ONLY for the time being. 

While some people can handle the problems in their lives, some can’t.  Some of those people may binge eat, some may drink, some may do drugs.  And it always makes life seem better – even if just for a little while.

We know by now that drugs temporarily dull the senses making pain or discomfort go away…only to make those negative emotions come back again worse than before.

Here are some examples of things that can create painful situations and cause a kid, teen or even an adult to turn to drugs for escape – or as a way to cope.

1.  Abusive environment – Someone, a parent or step-parent, for example, physically hurting the person in their home.

2.  Oppressive home environment – Somebody in the family or home putting people down, belittling them, making them feel bad about themselves, telling them that they aren’t good enough, they won’t succeed in life, etc.

3.  The loss of a loved one – It can be very difficult to deal with a heavy loss such as the death of a parent, a sibling or even a grandparent one was very close to.  This is a common time for people to turn to drugs and/or alcohol to avoid that pain.

4.  Too much stress at home or school – As a kid there is often a lot of pressure in the home to do well in school.  This often comes from parents, can come from teachers, and can be reinforced by our own expectations of ourselves. There are often other pressures as well—certainly some kids are given a lot of responsibility in the home, especially if a parent has two jobs and a kid has to take care of younger siblings, for example. Sometimes kids turn to drugs to take the pressure off or even to help them concentrate when the pressure is on.  (You can learn more about the harmful effects of drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall and other psycho-stimulants at this link: Drug Education Articles

5.  Bullying at school – Bullying is an epidemic.  Unfortunately a lot of kids experience being treated cruelly or unfairly by their peers at school.  The shame and embarrassment, along with the potential physical abuse can definitely trigger a desire to escape painful situations through drugs.

6. Past painful experiences – Some people have pasts they are trying to get away from.  Even if the here and now is a safe and sane environment, one may be living with “demons” from the past he doesn’t know how to control.  He may act out in uncontrollable ways and then resent it.  This may make the person turn to drugs to be “normal,” “act normal,” and forget the unforgettable past.

Kids can have a wide range of pressures brought to bear upon them while growing up.  They may want to do things they can’t.  They may not have the tools to deal with life situations, and with how easy it is in some of these schools to access drugs, it is no wonder kids are turning to drugs to avoid problems.

So, now that we know more about some of the causes, you may ask yourself: What can you and I do about this?

If someone has a serious situation such as listed above, the problem will not go away on its own and will need someone actually addressing the true situation so that it can be fixed.  For good. Good news: Finding, or even recognizing there is a situation is half the battle.  How to fix it is the next step.  And it can be done.  Caring enough to do something about it is another major step in the battle.

Now, all the above is one aspect of things.  Here’s another:  Something that is in our favor is that you and I can make things better and we can make a difference in a child’s life. 

I came across a few more points that may help to keep kids out of drugs.  A few of them may overlap with our earlier 12 points, but they are important so I will repeat them.

1.  Treat your children with love and respect always.  Help them build self esteem.  Listen to them, love them, acknowledge them.  This is the best way to keep your kids off drugs—give them a healthy vision of themselves and a foundation of happiness at home.

2.  Talk to your child about peer pressure.  Give them the tools and know- how to say no.  Tell them what to expect and how to keep their own integrity in, even when being pressured by friends.

3. If your child is in a troubling situation or has been through a traumatic experience, such as the death of a friend or loved one, or something like being taken advantage of sexually, be there for them, listen to them and take them to a professional who can help them work it out (there are traditional therapists but also many people are turning to alternatives – you can Google “alternative mental treatment” and come up with many alternatives, such as www.AlternativeToMeds.com )

4.  Do plenty of research before you talk to your kids about drugs.  Don’t listen to what the advertisements, the newspapers, etc, say.  (A few places you can find factual data: www.drugabuse.gov, www.DoItNow.org, www.drugfreeworld.org and www.abovetheinfluence.com) Know the facts.

5.  Make sure you are telling your kids the truth.  Don’t exaggerate, don’t withhold facts.  Find true stories about the effects of drugs and tell them about those stories.  (You can go to these same websites as above as well as www.CCHR.org for several videos on the truth about drugs including pharmaceutical drugs.)

6.  Talk to your kids about drugs more than once.  Repetition keeps things fresh in the mind.

7.  The best way to express your viewpoint about drugs is with education rather than just a strict, “Do not ever do drugs!”  Show them written research, videos, tell them what specific drugs can do to the body and the mind.  Then let them make the decision on their own.

Our future is bright.  With every single child that we as a society bring up drug free, we will create an even brighter future. And that will make a world of difference.


NARCONON SUNCOAST

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION