Talk to your teen about drugs...

• Tell your teen that you "LOVE" him/her, and you are worried that he/she might be using drugs.
  
• You KNOW that drugs may be the thing to to, but doing drugs can have serious consequences.
  
• It makes you FEEL worried and concerned about them when they are doing drugs.
  
• You are there to LISTEN to them.
  
• You WANT them to be a part of the solution.
  
• Tell him or her what you WILL do to help them.
  
• KNOW that you will have this discussion many, many times.

• Withdrawn, tired, and careless about personal appearance.
• Hostile, uncooperative, lies often, and has emotional outbursts.
• Hangs out with a new group of friends you have never met.
• Doesn't get along with other family members as well as s/he use to.
• Skips school often and grades decline.
• Shows no interest in hobbies, sports, or their favorite activities.
• Has changed his/her normal eating habits.
• Constantly asks to borrow money.
• Has difficulty concentrating and lacks coordination.
• Avoids you or is evasive, especially when you bring up his/her behavior.
• Has secretive phone conversations.
• Uses eye drops frequently.
• Unexplained disappearance of money, household items, or clothing.
• Hang up phone calls.
• Missing prescription drugs.

Drugs and the Effects on the Brain and Body

Marijuana - Pot, Weed. Smoked, oral. Affects the brain, Euphoria, slow thinking and reaction time, increased appetite.

Opiates - Morphine, Codeine, Heroin. If someone uses opiates again and again, his or her brain is likely to become dependent on them. Euphoria and/or drowsiness.

Hallucinogens - LSD, Acid, PCP. Addiction, hallucinations, imagined experiences that seem real. Poor perception of time and distance.

Stimulants - Cocaine, “Crack.” Snorted, injected, smoked. Hypes up the brain and spinal cord. More talkative and anxious and experience feelings of exhilaration. Loss of appetite and insomnia.

Methamphetamine/Amphetamines -  Oral, injected, swallowed, or smoked. This causes lots of harm to the brain and body, including inability to sleep, paranoia, aggressiveness, and hallucinations. Weight loss, skin lesions, death.

More help for parents on the web:

• http://www.erowid.org


• www.helpmyteen.com/child_at_risk.html


• http://teens.drugabuse.gov/mom/index.asp


• http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages