When talking to teenagers about drugs, should parents share their own drug use stories? Parents might be tempted to offer up stories from their past in hopes of opening the lines of communication with a teenager. Some parents might believe that in discussing past drug use that they are creating an environment of non-secrecy and trust. But such honesty could have its downfall.
A recent study by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that parents volunteering information about their own drug-related habits when talking to teenagers about drugs led to “unintended consequences.” But that’s not to say that you shouldn’t talk to them at all about drugs. Teenagers whose parents talk to them about drugs tend to have an anti-drug attitude. It’s just best for parents to not talk about their own drug use. When parents offered up this sort of information, their teenagers tended have a more relaxed attitude towards drugs, saying “using drugs wasn’t such a big deal.” This might be because teenagers see drug use as less risky if their parents’ lives are on track, or that they were less likely to get in trouble over drug use because their parents did it as well.
So how can parents begin talking to teenagers about drugs? The Health Canada website has some great advice on how to empower a teenager when it comes to drugs. Here are some of the tips they offer in talking to teenagers about drugs:
- Keep the conversation going. Many small conversations about drugs are better than long, boring lectures.
- Let it be a two-way conversation. Listen to what your teenagers have to say and keep an open mind. Encourage the exchange of ideas and feelings, help them develop reasoning skills, and offer them meaningful information about the dangers of drugs. Try to avoid too much drama or emotion.
- Keep the conversations positive. Don’t just wait to criticize bad behavior.
- Use events at school or in the news as “teachable moments,” and take advantage of driving in the car or family meals to talk about drugs.
- Focus on messages about how drug use can negatively affect sports performance, health and appearance. These messages tend to have more impact on this age group.
- Be clear on where you stand on drugs and set boundaries. You are your teenager’s best defense against drugs. They see you as a role model and should learn about drugs from you.
