Young people have enough to worry about between schoolwork, extracurricular activities, jobs, and puberty. Toss in high substance abuse risk, and they may just implode! But nobody’s imploding today, because St. Joseph Institute in Port Matilda, PA, is here to help you empower your children to stay safe.
We know that substance-use prevention education can be a powerful tool to combat substance use disorder (SUD). And today, we’ll break down why early education can help keep your kid out of substance-related trouble and how you can supplement it at home.
The Best Education Starts Early
Harvard Health explains that the teen brain is wired to take risks and chase the most exciting version of whatever a teenager is experiencing. If you’re a caretaker or parent, you may not realize that this means your teenager is vulnerable to substance use. And research shows that the younger they start using, the higher their risk for developing SUD in adulthood.
That’s why early education may be the best first line of defense against SUD in Pennsylvania. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) agrees. Studies show that when educational programs do the following, they can help prevent underage drinking, illicit substance use, prescription medication abuse, and improve academic and mental health outcomes:
- Teach young people how to cope with stress in healthy, constructive ways.
- Give teens tools to navigate risky situations.
- Connect adolescents with arts, sports, or mentorship programs.
This is where your local government and your child’s school can help: by inviting these types of programs into the school environment.
But what can you do to help educate your child about substances and equip them with the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe?
How To Help Young People Make Good Decisions
There’s a lot you can do at home to help empower your teenager to enjoy their adolescence as safely as possible. Below are some tips from St. Joseph Institute’s Family Program to help you get started.
Ditch The Scare Tactics
There was a time when teachers would try to communicate the harms of smoking by passing vials of phlegm around a health classroom, or showing students models of shrunken, blackened lungs alongside larger, healthy pink ones. We know now that scare tactics are virtually ineffective when it comes to preventing substance use in young people.
Motivating your teen with fear or warning them against use simply because you feel they have an addictive personality may only entice them to try substances.
Level With Them
Talk with your teen honestly about how each substance might affect their brain, body, and development.
You can try these kinds of phrasings:
- Alcohol can be fun, but it slows your reaction time behind the wheel.
- Marijuana may help with muscle soreness, but it can also bring on panic attacks, especially if you struggle with anxiety.
- Pain pills may seem safe, but they can contain fentanyl, and hundreds of people accidentally overdose on them every day.
Stay Digitally Vigilant
There is a constant tsunami of misinformation around dependence-forming substances on social media.
Here are some of the dangers your child faces if they have unmonitored access to devices:
- They will likely be targeted with sophisticated e-cigarette and vaping social media advertising.
- They can be exposed to adult content that normalizes substance use and other potentially harmful adult behaviors.
- They can arrange to get access to substances with their phone or device.
- They can develop a dependence on devices or social media platforms, which can stimulate the same brain regions as SUD.
Support Them
Let them know you’re there for them no matter what. It can be a fine line to tread, discouraging substance use but clarifying that you won’t reject your child if they succumb to the temptation.
That support might look like:
- Picking your child up when they’re intoxicated, watching over them until the effects wear off, and talking to them about what they did and why.
- Instead of yelling or losing your temper, you can enforce consequences when substance use happens, like no phone or friends for a set period.
- Periodically sitting them down to have a heart-to-heart about how they’re doing, coping, and feeling about their school, social, and romantic lives.
- Taking an interest in them even when they’re not watching, and staying aware of changes in mood, appetite, or physical appearance.
Join St. Joseph in Preventing Substance Use Among Pennsylvania Teens
If you’re concerned that your young adult child may be struggling with substances or needs help withdrawing from them, we have residential, medically-assisted detox, and Wexford-based outpatient services for you. Contact us today to learn more.
