The risk of a teenager using drugs is significant. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the natural attitudes and behaviors that teens have put them at risk for drug use; teens are curious, risk takers who often succumb to the social pressures they are exposed to. The Mayo Clinic reports certain factors put teens at higher risk for drug use including low self-esteem, mental illness, such as depression, relatives who use drugs, poverty, inadequate supervision and easy access to drugs. Teen drug use can lead to teen drug abuse and the best way to prevent this is to keep teens from ever trying drugs.
Step 1
Educate teens on the risks of drug use. Provide a teen with an understanding of how drugs work and interact with the body. Tell teens about stories of people who used drugs and the negative consequences. Avoid denying the positives of drug use. Provide teens with an education on drugs regularly to keep the risks present in their minds.
Step 2
Communicate with teenagers. Let teens tell you about their interest in drugs. Discuss with them any concerns they may have about drugs. Inform teens about your feelings related to drug use. Avoid judging a teen for any questions she asks regarding drug use.
Step 3
Role-play ways for teens to resist drug use. Being unable to come up with an excuse for why he does not want to use drugs in the moment can be hard for a teen when he feels pressured by his peers. Therefore, helping a teen prepare to deal with peers who may pressure him into using drugs can be effective at keeping him from experimenting with drugs.
Step 4
Engage in positive behaviors for the teen to witness. According to the Mayo Clinic, in order to prevent drug use among teenagers it is important for adults steer clear of using drugs themselves. It will be hard for a teen to take you seriously if you tell her not to use drugs, but you continue to use drugs yourself.
Step 5
Get him involved in activities he enjoys. When teenagers get board they are more likely to be tempted to try drugs because they have nothing better to do. Make sure the activities he is involved in are supervised by an adult you trust.
Step 6
Control the teen's access to drugs. Avoid providing her with money in the form of cash that she can quickly use to buy drugs. Keep all prescription drugs inaccessible to her. Many teens are abusing prescription drugs because they are easily accessible.
Step 7
Offer support to the teen no matter what happens. Teens will make mistakes and break the rules, but it is important that a teen does not feel rejected by the adults in his life; this will only increase his risk of drug use. Tell the teen you are there for him no matter what. Ask him to call you if he ever gets into trouble.
