Sunday, October 27, 2013

Teen’s are talking about..... Pressure to drink or use drugs.



How to handle it and how to communicate with Parents.

Q.  Is there pressure to drink or smoke in high school?  My parents always say to call and no questions asked but I don’t believe them?

A.  There is always pressure, but the decisions you make are always YOUR responsibility.  Make sure you have someone to call if you need to leave the situation.  It could be a parent, friend or another relative.
A.  Yes, there is always pressure to do something you may not feel comfortable doing.  If you call your parents in these situations, they will have much more respect for your decisions.
A. It depends on the situation.  People aren’t going to “bully” you if you don’t drink, but it can be difficult to sit and watch while everyone else is doing something different.  You should always call your parents if you want or need to get picked up, no matter what.
A.  There is pressure, but not because of high school.  It is more self-inflicted pressure to try to fit in and not be “that loser that doesn’t drink.”  Parents can be supportive but it ultimately comes down to the teen to reach out and ask for help or advice.
A.  There is definitely pressure to drink in high school.  At every party I have attended there has always been alcohol present and encouraged.  If there was a situation where I had consumed alcohol and need my parents, I would call them.
Q.  So then, how do you handle it if you’re at a party or with other people, even your friends, are drinking or smoking and you don’t want to?  My parents say to call and no questions will be asked but I’m not sure if I should call or how to handle it.  I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.  What would you do?

A.  You always have the choice to say “no.”  If your friends are trying to get you to do something that you don’t want to do then they are not your real friends.  I would get myself out of the situation by leaving and not ratting out my friends.
A.  I am that person people can call if they are in trouble.  I don’t want my friends to feel like they are trapped or stuck in a situation, so I am an unbiased outlet in case they have “strict” parents or now one else reliable to call.
A.  I would call my parents and ask to be picked up.  They will be proud of and respect your decision to not drink/smoke.  However, it does not mean that you are going to get anyone in trouble.  It is their fault if they get in trouble.
A.  I would call a close friend to pick me up.  You will feel a lot better leaving this situation rather than participating in it.
A.  I know that no matter who is drinking or making bad choices my choices are always my responsibility.  If you’re in a bad situation your priority should be to get yourself out of it.  Even if you think your parents may be mad at you, you will regret not leaving.  You should talk to your parents about what they would want you to do in one of these situations.  It may be awkward at first, but it will be worth it.


A.  I try to keep an open dialogue with my parents concerning these issues so that I can feel comfortable with my decisions.
A.  Yes.  I’ve talked to my parents and I feel a lot more comfortable with the topic after talking with them.
A.  My parents have told me to be smart with my decisions and to be safe.  I am honestly not the kind of kid that would drink and do drugs.  My parents expect me and trust me to make good decisions.
Q.  What do you think Parents should know, do and say to address drinking and drug use with their teen?
A.  They need to be more open with teens and show them the consequences.  Then they must be accepting of the teen’s final choice, knowing they have talked it through and warned them.
A.  They should not tell their teen that if they do drink in high school that they will be in trouble because if they needed help in a bad situation then their teen would not call their parents.  Parents should address drinking and drug use in a positive way but not encourage it.  They should tell them it can wait for later in life when it’s appropriate.
A.  Parents should try and understand the situation their teen is in.  If the parents push too much on the fact the teen shouldn’t be doing drugs or drinking too much, the teen might just resort to that behavior.  There is a very fine line between support and lecturing.
A.  They should make it a conversation, not a lecture.  I would know the legal consequences and inform your teen about them, maybe “shock” them with the facts.
A.  Parents should be open-minded and honest with their teens.  They need to find the balance between too much and too little control.
Q.  What’s your influence to be drug-free?
A.  My influence is my future.  I want to be happy, successful, and make a positive impact on the world.  I don’t have the time to let drugs or drinking get in the way.
A.  My future.  My family.  My health.
A.  I believe being drug-free is extremely important…. especially the way our brains are developing.
A.  My future has no room for the repercussions of drugs.  It has never interested me health-wise, social-wise or self-wise!