Talking to Your Child About Drugs Essay Example

It is imperative that we educate our children about substance abuse and the effect it have on their bodies. Nowadays the risk factors are increasing and our children are getting more involved in substance abuse and are becoming ATOD (alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) addicts. According to the Cambridge Advance Learning Dictionary, third edition the phrase ‘substance abuse’ means “the use of a drug to get pleasure, or to improve a person's performance of an activity, or because a person cannot stop using it.” There are a number of factors that are preventing our children from seeking help which makes it difficult for intervention to take place. As one would say, “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” According to the Cambridge Advance Learning Dictionary, third edition the word prevention means, “When you stop something from happening or stop someone from doing something.” Children today are pre-occupied with the trial of new things, including the use of substances. They are exposed to new environment and friends from different socio- economic background. Thus children and adolescents are vulnerable to peer pressure and are easily led into doing something they don’t really want to do, but do it anyway because they want to “fit in with the crowd” so to say. Other children may want to try the substance, alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs because it is used within the homes so they adapt the behaviour as to them it would be considered the norm. Adolescents may turn to substance use when they are under stress at home or at school, eventually they will become ATOD addicts.

With the perception of society it may be difficult for children and adolescents to seek the help of others. They may think about what will happen and or if they will get into trouble with their parents or the law. Not only being concerned with getting into trouble , but they may be ashamed of telling someone that they are using as they might think less of them or treat them