Intervention Programs

26 Jun Family Time Seen As Effective in Fighting Teen Drug Use

Teen drug abuse is one of the most dangerous and common problem facing young people and their families. Interventions for teens and young people are not uncommon.  Drug and alcohol abuse poses particularly high risks for teens because their bodies and minds are still developing. Many parents worry about whether their teen is using, and want to do anything they can to prevent their teen from falling prey to substance abuse. The good news for concerned parents is that strong family ties have been found very effective in fighting teen drug use. The more time parents spend with their children, the more they have the opportunity to stress the importance of living a healthy, responsible life. Teens who feel loved and accepted by their parents generally have much higher self esteem, which makes them far less likely to to use drugs or alcohol. An increased amount of conversation and quality time spent between parents and teens also leads organically to more frank conversations about drugs. Open dialogue about drug and alcohol use is a great way to decrease the allure of “taboo” activities.  It also allows parents to feel that they know what is going on in their teen’s life, which likely leads to them treating them with more trust. When a teen is treated with trust and respect, they are far less likely to betray said trust when faced with peer pressure or other circumstances that may tempt them to do experiment with drugs.