KTMS Radio Commentary
Sadly, drug use is too widespread
to assume that it will never touch the life of your son or daughter.
It’s good to know that certain
behaviors can serve as a warning. These include:
• an abrupt change in mood or attitude
• a
sudden decline in attendance or performance at school
• impaired relationships with family
• ignoring curfews
• unusual flare-ups of temper
• increased borrowing of money; stealing from
home or work
• heightened secrecy about actions and
possessions
• associating with a new group of friends
But be careful: several of these items also reflect normal
teenage growing pains.
So what exactly is a parent to
do?
The best advice
is to watch carefully, get to know your child’s friends, and talk about the
problems of drug and alcohol abuse.
Make sure your
child hears from you that taking drugs is harmful to one’s physical, mental,
and social well-being. Make a clear
statement that you are opposed to drug use and intend to enforce that position.
But also
remember that if your child is using drugs, he or she needs your help. Seek
support from other parents, ask a school counselor or teacher about available
resources, and call the Santa Barbara Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse for
help.
