Sherri's post on drinking and driving last week made me think about how drinking affects our teens. Teens who drink are at risk for other behaviors which can be dangerous such as using drugs and having unprotected intercourse.
It seems so easy - just have a little drink. "Come on, just one beer." And before you know it, your teen has had a few drinks and is very relaxed. So when someone says "Come on, it is just a joint, just try it." And your teen becomes even more relaxed after a little marijuana. "Come on, everybody else does it, just try having a little fun." And your teen is sexually active - and probably having unprotected sex - after all, "everybody does it."
Talking about this with your teen is very uncomfortable for almost all parents. But maybe approaching this from a different angle might make it easier. Research was published last year that shows that using marijuana as a teenager or young adult can actually cause changes in the brain that can make the user more at risk for psychotic and bipolar disorders. Very few teens know this - and discussing the effects of drugs on the brain can be helpful to both educate your teen and to open the door to discussing what can happen when using alcohol and drugs.
Teens do not realize that using alcohol and/or drugs can cause them to become disinhibited. And losing one's inhibitions is not a good thing - especially when you are keeping company with other folks who have lost their inhibitions. Discussing this concept with your teen can help him or her be more aware of when they may be vulnerable to peer pressure. Role playing how you might handle a situation like this can help your teen as well. If he has thought about how he might respond before such a situation occurs, he can handle the situation in a more positive way.
Always let your teen know that you are available to discuss tough topics like this - and that you are available to come and get him if he needs you. An older movie "Less Than Zero" portrays the downward spiral a teen (played by a young Robert Downey, Jr.) gets into when he becomes involved in drug use. This movie is a tough portrayal of what can happen to a teen using drugs. You might think about watching this with your teen.
Dr. Debra