Although society in general has now shown an absolute rejection of drug use and it is no longer considered an attractive and interesting habit, there is still a large number of people who consume addictive substances, especially among the young and adolescent population. .
However, there are a series of guidelines or recommendations that we can carry out from our role as parents, family or friends, to prevent young people from starting to use drugs as well as to stop the development of addiction if it has already started.
Adolescence and post-adolescence It is a highly confusing and complicated period of life. The fact that we still do not have a fully formed identity makes us highly impressionable and susceptible people, since during this time the most desired goal is to be able to fit in and feel part of something.
This need to fit in, together with the influence of our peers, the media, television, the press and our own attitude of rebellion, along with the need to experience new things; They make this period a risk factor for starting and developing a drug addiction.
It is necessary to specify that, when we talk about drug addiction It does not only refer to the most serious addictions or the strongest drugs and destructive, the daily consumption of drugs such as cannabis is increasingly high and in the medium-long term it can also lead to dire consequences.
As we mentioned previously, adolescence is a stage of life that is extremely compromised in terms of drug use. However, there is no single factor that causes a young person or adolescent to feel attracted to any type of drug.
Social or group pressure is usually one of the main causes by which a teenager decides to start consuming a drug. The need to fit in and feel part of the group, as well as the pressure that it can exert when it comes to consuming, may be enough to initiate consumption.
Likewise, this stage of life is usually marked by strong feelings of incomprehension and confusion, as well as the lack of self-esteem or self-confidence can generate high levels of frustration that can lead to drug use as an escape route from these. emotions.
On other occasions, drug use It develops as an act of rebellion A way to express the nonconformity that the adolescent experiences with what surrounds him. Drug use can be seen as a form of disobedience, both to parents or guardians and to the rest of society in general.
Finally, little knowledge of the real effects of any type of drugs and the influence of some media that still show their consumption as something attractive and even interesting, favor the attractiveness and fascination that these cause on young people
8 guidelines to prevent drug use in adolescents
Despite all this, there are still things that family, friends or society in general can do to help reduce, and even prevent, drug use by young people.
1. Inform
Although there are currently numerous campaigns carried out by institutions and educational centers that try to inform young people about the risks of drug use, as family members and people with teenagers around us we become also in direct prevention agents.
This means that we do not have to wait for teenagers to receive information about drugs from the outside, we ourselves can inform ourselves well and transmit that information since the fact that it is someone close and trustworthy who transmits it can also be positive.
2. Develop your social skills
In a large number of cases, adolescents start in the world of drugs because someone from your own friendship group offers them to you In these cases, the lack of social skills, as well as poor emotional education and assertive techniques, cause the adolescent, along with the fear of being rejected, to accept consumption.
Knowing this, education in social skills that allow young people to say “no” without any fear is essential to prevent them from starting to consume.
3. Encourage the development of positive self-esteem
If we add to the fear of not fitting in the fact that a large part of adolescents do not have sufficiently high self-esteem or do not feel secure enough with themselves, we will find in these traits a very important risk factor for drug use.
Therefore, help develop high self-esteem that gives them self-confidence will also be of great relevance in preventing young people from turning to drugs as a way to feel better about themselves.
4. Develop critical sense
A well-informed adolescent with sufficient security will be much more capable of developing a critical sense of drug use. If we get the young man to judge drugs as they are as well as for physical, psychological and social integrity, we will make it possible for them to refuse the consumption of any type of narcotic or addictive substance.
Try to talk to teenagers, show interest in their concerns, do not judge and gain their trust, will help them feel comfortable talking to us, telling us their problems. In this way, it will be much easier for us to help them resolve them positively and not have to resort to drugs as an escape route or a way to avoid or forget them.
6. Don’t try to overprotect them
Although this overprotection is nothing more than a reflection of the concern that parents or acquaintances feel about the habits of young people, these behaviors tend to be counterproductive.
Young people must perceive in parents, relatives or guardians an attitude of acceptance, a place to turn to when they feel bad or distressed and, to do this, we must convey that we are open to it but without being a burden
7. Do not be authoritarian
At the beginning of the article we commented that adolescence is characterized by being a time of rebellion, in which going against what is imposed or established is almost a vital necessity.
Therefore, authoritarian education styles in which parents or guardians impose their opinion or way of life in an uncompromising manner will not be effective at all when it comes to avoiding drug use. In any case it is always better to resort to dialogue and consensus
8. Be consistent with our actions
We will rarely be able to prevent adolescents from using any type of drugs if they are also used at home. In the same way, for the message against drugs to be transmitted in the most effective way possible, our attitude towards them must also be stable and coherent.
