Substance Use & Prevention

Substance Use & Prevention

1. Illegal Drugs

   • The best way to prevent an addiction to an illegal drug is not to take the drug at all.
   • Communicate. Talk to your children about the risks of drug use and abuse. Listen. Be a good listener when your children talk about peer pressure
   • Preventing drug relapse
     • Avoid high-risk situations. Don't go back to the neighborhood where you used to get your drugs. And stay away from your old drug crowd.

2. Alcohol

   • You can help prevent teenage alcohol use. Start by setting a good example with your own alcohol use. Talk openly with your child, spend quality time.
   • Signs and symptoms
     • Loss of interest in activities and hobbies and in personal appearance.
     • Bloodshot eyes, slurred speech,
     • problems with coordination and memory
   • Long-term alcohol use can cause serious health complications, affecting virtually every organ in your body, including your brain.

3. Prescription Medication

   • Your doctor may prescribe narcotics to relieve pain, benzodiazepines to relieve anxiety or insomnia, or barbiturates to relieve nervousness.
   • Doctors prescribe these medications at safe doses and monitor their use so that you're not given too great a dose or for too long a time
   • Use care when taking an addictive prescription drug. Your doctor may prescribe narcotics to relieve pain, benzodiazepines to relieve anxiety or insomn