Do not wait until it is too late to talk to your child about drugs and alcohol! They need to be made aware of all the issues about drugs so that when they are exposed to them, which they will be, your child will be prepared.
One of the best ways that you can help your child to be prepared and even avoid drug use is to have open and effective communication with them.
What Are Some of the Things You Could Say?
1. You would of course assure them that you love them; you want them to be happy and healthy.
2. Explain to them that drugs are unacceptable.
3. Tell them that drugs can hurt people. Let them know that physically they are putting their health at risk and emotionally drugs can make a person feel paranoid.
The use of drugs will harm their education because their memory and attention span is reduced.
4. Talk about the legal issues involved. If you are convicted for a drug offence there will be serious consequences and once you have a criminal record it is permanent.
5. Discuss positive drug free alternatives such as movies, sports, reading and any other activities that may be of interest to them.
How Are You Going to Say Some of These Things?
1. First, do not exaggerate – speak calmly and openly. The facts will speak for themselves.
2. Face to face – listen just as much as you talk. Kids do not want a lecture; they want to be involved in the exchange of information.
3. Use circumstances that are before you. For example, when you are watching a movie together that has drugs/alcohol within, talk about it then.
4. Do not just talk about drugs the one time and then think that your child has taken in everything that you have talked about with him. Also talk about drugs with your child at other times.
5. Set a good example. Avoid contradictions between you and your actions.
About Ecstasy
Did you know that ecstasy is a chemically manufactured drug also known as E, XTC, Adam or the Love Drug? It acts as both a stimulant and a hallucinogen and it has no medical use whatsoever.
Ecstasy is usually sold as a tablet or capsule, and comes in different shapes, sizes and colors.
Tolerance to ecstasy can produce feelings of pleasure and well being causing users to feel full of energy and confidence. Ecstasy increases your body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate regularly leading to dehydration, overheating, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, heart failure, stroke, or seizures.
After-effects can cause confusion, irritability, anxiety, paranoia, depression, and memory loss or sleep problems. As with all illegal street drugs you never know the purity or strength of the drug or how it will affect your child.
