This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of National Institute on Drug Abuse. All opinions are 100% mine.
As my kids are starting to grow up, I’m noticing huge changes in the way that I think and worry about things. Long gone are the days of keeping a close eye so that they don’t fall and hurt themselves. Now it’s a worry about them getting good grades, staying out of trouble and making smart choices. All of my boys are so strong minded and it’s my job now to ensure that they stay on a good path in life. And when you look at teen statistics, things start to get scary!
Peer pressure is so tough during the teen years so it’s very important to me that we communicate openly with our boys. I want them to be able to come to me for anything and I also want them to respect us, our rules and most importantly, themselves.
When I hear news stories about teens and drugs, that’s when reality really hits and things get hard. There are kids their age who are overdosing on hardcore drugs like heroin and meth. I’ve been reading through some?drug and alcohol facts?and many people who abuse prescription opioid painkillers turn to heroin because it’s cheaper and easier to obtain and produces a similar high.?
Beginning January 25, you can take the?National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge?and answer questions that test your knowledge of drugs. There’s also this “Family Checkup” resource that provides parents with skills to help keep their kids drug free.
If your teen is using drugs, there are resources that share what you, as a parent should do. But most importantly, do everything in your power to keep the lines of communication open and share resources that can help them. Next week is National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week?and I encourage you to do some reading to SHATTER THE MYTHS.
