How to Talk to Your Teen About Drug Use

Every parent wants their children to make better decisions for their mental and physical health, but learning how to talk to your teen about drug use can be extremely difficult. Having a productive conversation about substance use with your teenager can help keep them on the right path and avoid the dangers that teen drug use can bring.

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Start by Educating Yourself

Before talking to your teen about substance use, it’s a good idea to educate yourself about how substance use can affect younger teens and adolescents. Having a strong knowledge base about different types of drugs, substance use disorders, and even the developing brains of teenagers can help inform your conversation.

Your teen will likely have questions about drug use when you have this conversation. Equipping yourself with knowledge can help you respond to your teen’s natural curiosity and make the conversation much more productive.

Don’t Resort to Scare Tactics

Scare tactics may seem like a good way to ensure your teenager never uses drugs, but the reality is that they will often lead to your teen questioning your honesty. Teens will learn about drugs on their own, whether that be through peers, social media, school, or the internet.

If your teen finds out that you weren’t completely honest about the dangers of drugs, they may write off your conversation altogether.

Set Clear Boundaries

If you don’t want your teen to use drugs, you need to set clear rules about abstinence in your household. When you set boundaries, it’s important to be explicit about your rules and to let your teen understand that there will be consequences if they are broken.

Clear, strong boundaries look like this:

• “There will be no drug or alcohol use while you live in our home.”
• “If you use drugs or alcohol, your driving privileges will be revoked for a month.”
• “I expect you to come to me if you feel pressured to use drugs or alcohol, and we can talk about what made you feel that way.”

These set clear rules and intentions for your teen’s life, and make it understood that any substance use is impermissible.

Avoid the common mistake of setting vague boundaries that may be misinterpreted. If you tell your teenager to “be smart,” “make good decisions,” or “stay safe,” they may have a different interpretation than what you intended.

Make it A Two-Way Conversation

Most teenagers will already have learned about substance use in one way or another. When you talk to your teen about drugs, ask them questions about their thoughts about drug use and see what they think already.

Consider asking your teen questions such as:

• What do you know about marijuana use?
• Do you think substance use is dangerous?
• Is it ever okay for people to drink or use drugs?

This involves them in the conversation and lets you know what they already believe. If you disagree with one of their answers, or they’re curious to learn more, you can use this as an opportunity to explore the potential harms of substance use together.

This prevents your conversation from becoming a lecture and gets them involved in learning their strategies for preventing drug use.

Know When Intervention is Required

If your teen has already started using drugs, stay calm. Avoid the temptation to immediately punish them, as this could prevent them from continuing to talk with you openly and honestly.

This is an opportunity for you to set your clear expectation that they’ll abstain from now on. Any teen using drugs is a cause for concern, and you may want to set up an appointment with a counselor to get your teen assessed.

Talking with a counselor can help prevent your teen from continuing substance use, identify any emotional challenges your teen is going through, and provide them with healthier ways of enjoying life without resorting to drugs.

Make it an Ongoing Conversation

As your teen grows up, they will undoubtedly be exposed to alcohol and drug use among their friends and may even begin experimenting themselves. By keeping the conversation open, you reassure them that you’ll support them no matter what happens and that coming to you with their challenges is a safe space.

Revisit your talks about substance use regularly. Assure your teen that you have their best interest in mind. If they ever struggle, they’ll know you are there to help.

Need help talking to your teen about alcohol and drugs? Reach out to us at Project Eden today.