What factors influence a teen's decision to use alcohol or other drugs? Some parents may scoff at the concept of having a family discussion regarding the decision, assuming that their advice will be ignored. However, this is not the case. A person who is abusing alcohol or drugs should seek medical assistance right away.

Parents and caregivers can be effective preventative agents, and they play a critical influence in a teen's decision to use marijuana, drink alcohol, or try other drugs. However, parents must first educate themselves so that they can objectively discuss the issue whenever it arises. They can then teach their teenagers about the dangers and empower them to make the right decision.

This article will cover seven concrete pieces of advice for parents who want to assist their teens to make better substance-use decisions.

Want to discuss the dangers of drinking and other drugs while also praising a teen's current health and well-being? Here are eight excellent places to begin:

Maintain a cheerful attitude and celebrate their healthy accomplishments. Teens are still finding healthy ways to engage with life and friends despite the pandemic and all of its hardships. Those beneficial outlets should be celebrated, endorsed, and encouraged. You can remind teens about the dangers of drinking and using other substances. However, you may also take the time to compliment a teen on his or her healthy habits and how naturally fulfilling they are.

Let us discuss the pandemic. It's important to have regular conversations about the pandemic—research shows that giving kids the facts reduces their concern about COVID-19. Furthermore, you can informally transition into wider discussions on health and wellbeing. A youngster can protect himself or herself from addiction in the same manner as people must protect themselves from COVID-19.

Support their health. Become a spokesperson for the healthy activities that teenagers like. Trust that whatever they've discovered that gives them a substance-free high will enrich their lives—as long as they're not abusing it. Support those activities and assist them in developing as many of these skills as possible.

Recognize the value of peers. Teenagers frequently seek their peers for guidance before making their own decisions, and research suggests that they tend to exaggerate how frequently their peers drink and use drugs. Assist them in comprehending this, and teach them about the importance of impulse control, brain growth, and critical thinking in teen decision-making.

Understand the risks that your child faces. Consider how a teenager's sex and gender identity, social situation, and mental health may influence their decision to take substances. If your teen is in a vulnerable circumstance or has mental health issues, attempt to provide as many protective factors as possible, such as access to health resources, healthier alternatives to substances, and more family participation.

Understand and communicate the heightened risk. Remember that regardless of where or what drug a teen is consuming, the teen brain is particularly vulnerable to the detrimental consequences of substances. Alcohol misuse, like any other substance abuse, carries a high chance of addiction. Teens cannot be "taught to drink safely" since their bodies and brains are still developing, making substance abuse particularly dangerous.

Keep healthy household rules in place. According to research, students who drink at home with parental awareness are more likely to drink outside of the home and in ways that can lead to addiction and other risky behavior later in life.

If you believe or know your child is abusing substances, have a calm, health-focused discussion about the dangers. Seek expert aid for your teenagers. The misuse of alcohol and other drugs is a health problem, and help is always accessible.