If you have a teenager facing drug charges, you may feel overwhelmed by concern for your child. How do you help him or her abstain from using drugs or facing future charges? Most parents want to help their teens prove that they can clean up their act to reduce their sentence or to help them stay clean in the future.
A lot of teens try drugs for the first time out of curiosity and while teens have lower impulse control, there are ways that you can help them.
Is your child high-risk?
High-risk drug use refers to any drug use with a high risk of a poor outcome. For example, if your kid experiments with drugs and risks injury, problems at school or criminal justice involvement, he or she may be engaged in high-risk drug use.
- High-risk drug use can include:
- Prescription drug misuse
- Injection drug use
- Illicit drug use
Teens who engage in high-risk drug use also tend to engage in risky behaviors such as risky sexual or violent behaviors.
How can you help your child?
Many people who struggle with substance abuse disorder tried drugs as an adolescent. Parents can help their teens by being open to conversations about drug use. Do not start conversations about drugs by talking about discipline or punishment. Instead, be honest and open about the risks to help them understand what could happen. Education allows teens to make more sound decisions about their health. If your kid feels afraid to talk to you about drug use, he or she may be more likely to hide it or continue using it secretly.
To protect your kid from future drug charges, you must try to treat the underlying substance abuse disorder.
