Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

About half of all adolescents try drugs before the age of 18. Some teens smoke marijuana and / or drink alcohol regularly. A small number of adolescents become drug addicts, but the number is growing. With the following instructions, you will learn how to determine if your child is using drugs.

Steps

1. 1 Watch for drastic changes in appearance. This is one of the first cries for help if this is what your child needs.
2. 2 Track changes in academic performance. Teens who use drugs sometimes don't care much about academic performance, so this is a sure sign. Notice the dramatic drop in grades, not minor misses.The latter can be related to anything.
3. 3 Pay attention to changes in eating and sleeping habits, such as poor appetite and insomnia. Sudden cravings for candy, as well as weight loss, can be signs of drug addiction.
4. 4 Change in interest. Pay attention to the mysterious change in your child's hobbies if he no longer likes something that he liked before, such as sports or hobbies.
5. 5 Pay attention to his or her attitude. Your son or daughter may become more rude or naughty than usual; he or she may also refuse to do housework without pay.
6. 6 Pay attention to who he or she is communicating with. Your child's friends may be more rebellious than usual, and / or your child may bring new friends into the house while ignoring the old ones.
7. 7 See if your child has lost interest in their usual activities. Perhaps your child has given up on regular hobbies or has developed new hobbies.
8. 8 Observe his or her mood. Perhaps your child has become grumpy or lazy without doing anything most of the time.
9. 9 See if your child is asking for money too often. He or she may be spending money on drugs. If your child is asking for money, ask what he or she needs it for.
10. 10 See if your child is wearing sunglasses too often (to hide their enlarged pupils or marijuana-red eyes). Also, he or she can carry eye drops with him at all times.
11. 11 Pay attention to smells. If your child drinks or uses drugs, you will smell his or her clothes or breath. If he or she smells like he has just perfumed, your child may be trying to hide the smell.
12. 12 If your child is away from home for a long time, ask him or her where he or she goes and with whom he or she spends time.
13. 13 In many cases, teenagers use drugs out of boredom.

Tips

• Listen to what your child has to say. Ask him or her why he or she uses drugs and LISTEN. Your child may not be doing this to sound “cool”. Most addicts have problems they cannot deal with.
• Try to remember that it is perfectly normal and natural to try drugs. When talking to your child about drugs, never lie or exaggerate the dangers of drugs. Instead, talk about the good AND bad sides of using drugs. If your child has been taught about the good effects, such as “marijuana makes people happy,” and so on, he or she may have wanted to try it out to experience the effect. This way, your relationship will be based on trust, and your child will believe what you tell him about drugs and respect your opinion.
• If your child is arrested, try to calm him down. Teens are often yelled at by police and judges, and any punishment given by a judge must be resigned to. You should not punish your child, as he already got it according to the law.
• Make sure your child gets enough attention and always knows that they are loved and cared for. Even if your child is annoyed about it, they secretly value your efforts. Many adult addicts have had problems during their teens. If your child is sad about something, see a counselor.
• Teach your child to say NO to drug dealers and explain how drugs can affect not only him but the whole family.
• Regular arrest is a sure sign of drug use.

Warnings

• You don't need to react negatively to external changes in your child. If the goal is protest, then you will indulge it; if the goal is simply to be noticed, you will light the fire with your comments on the matter. For example, getting creative with the choice of colors and styles.Chances are your child will outgrow this after a while. Criticism can get things out of hand by showing your child that you don't accept or love them.