Understanding Youth and Drug Use: Risks, Signs, and Conversations

2. Most common drugs young people take • Alcohol • Cannabis • NPS - Nitrous Oxide – can be bought in shops and online • Club drugs – Ecstasy, MDMA - powder, Speed, Ketamine • Hallucinogen’s - Acid, Magic Mushrooms • Cocaine - (16+) - because this is expensive • Benzo’s – Xanax – can buy online and be posted to your door. Packaging looks unsuspicious

3. YP Risk Factors • Peer Pressure – cause friends are doing it, ‘fitting in’, feel like they have to; • Curiosity – wanting to experiment & experience the effects, having a good time. Young people will generally use drugs because everyone around them is and it seems normal. They will be unaware/naive as to any underlying issue. • Low confidence/self-esteem; Underlying causes of frequent use • Parental/Home pressures/problems • Relationship problems; • Negative Body Image, Bullying; • Social Media influences – people taking drugs and ‘seem’ ok

4. Signs/Symptoms • Rizla paper & Rizla packet ripped for ‘roach’ • Grinders – weed • Lottery tickets (wraps for cocaine/amphetamine) • Bits of tobacco on surfaces & floors • Asking more frequently for money, spending more than usual • Going out every weekend. Staying out a lot, overnight at a friends. • Physical appearance i.e. tiredness, lethargy, hygiene, red eyes; • Avoidance of conversations, especially after coming home from a night out • Smells – weed or the opposite – strong deodorant/aftershave to cover up the smell of weed • Drop in school work or pulling out of hobbies/sports; • Changing friendship groups or social isolation. Hanging around with older people. • Mood swings, anger, anxiety; • Lying, stealing money

5. What to do • Talk to your child – horror stories/scare tactics are rarely helpful; • Do your research – use resources to find out more info; • Think about your own experiences – what was it like for you growing up? What was your experience with alcohol and/or drugs Why would you expect any young person’s experience to be different to your own?

6. Talk to your child • Get prepared - plan what you want to say first • Get clued up - research your info first • Remain calm – being angry won’t make your YP listen & could make them not want to talk to you again • Don’t make it a big scary thing – the ‘big talk’ • Plan ahead – Identify a suitable time • Think about the location – e.g. the car, as neither person has to look each other in the eyes or somewhere else that is suitable • Talk to other parents – what did/didn’t work for them and it also helps you feel supported

7. Talk to your child • Don’t be over the top – young people will ‘think’ that everyone takes drugs and it’s ‘normal’ • Be prepared to accept that YP will be taking drugs purely out of pleasure to have a ‘good time’ – with no noticeable consequences • Give advice on staying safe; to look after themselves/their friends, drink water, look online to get as much info as possible • Remember to let THEM talk • The initial conversation may not last long, only 30 secs, but don’t be discouraged – it’s a start & opens the door to further conversations. Keep trying • You could initiate a conversation by saying you were at a AWF talk about drugs…as a good place to start

8. Do your research Talk to frank – www.talktofrank.com – research information on drugs. NSPCC – www.nspcc.org.uk - advice on a range of topics Youngminds – www.youngminds.org.uk – UK’s leading charity for children and young people’s mental health. Leading drug & alcohol charities – Addaction, Turning Point, WDP, CGL, Action on Addiction Support groups for families – Al-anon, FA, CODA

9. Think about your experience • Knowing the dangers of alcohol hasn’t stopped some of us drinking or sometimes drinking too much • If you have used drugs – you could talk about experiences. Was it worth it? Would you do it again? Risks you took? This will encourage a more open discussion • Try to know what your YP is up to/where they are. Remember your own experience – did you lie to your parents about where you were & what you were doing?