September means fall is in the air, the trees are losing their leaves, its football season, and back to school for most kids. Starting High School is a milestone, teens and families look forward to the start of their path to adulthood and success. But high school is also fraught with situations your child may never have been exposed to before, and while they may have been informed about drugs and adult situations, it is a different matter altogether to be put in situations where they might have to make some adult decisions.
The most common drug used in high school is marijuana and alcohol. Marijuana is now legal in some states and that has made it seem less dangerous to teens. It is also perceived to be less dangerous because it is naturally grown and not made in a lab. The dangers of marijuana are more far reaching then they may seem. Marijuana is harmful to developing brains, it can cause academic trouble, decreased athletic performance and it can even lower IQ later in life. It is also a gateway drug to heavier, more dangerous drugs. Parents and teens both think that Marijuana isn’t that harmful, it is easy to get, cheap and all natural, but the effect of marijuana use can be far reaching.
Prescription Drugs are also commonly used in high school; they can also be easy to get from raiding medicine cabinets and seem to be not as dangerous as they are legal. Adderall and painkillers are the two most commonly misused prescription drugs. Prescription painkillers are extremely dangerous as they are addictive and many times lead to harder street drug use.
What can we do to stop this epidemic? The most important thing we can do is talk to our children. Make sure that they know that you know drugs exist and that they can always talk to you about what is happening at school. If they seem to be acting differently, don’t be afraid to confront them. Keep your prescription drugs looked up. Keep an accurate record of how much is left in your prescription bottles and notice if any have gone missing. Dispose of un needed medications safely. Open communication is key to keeping your kids off drugs.