Teen Drug Use—What Can Parents Do About It?

Reader’s Digest interviewed Etienne Gaudet, psychoeducator and drug-addiction counsellor and author of Drogues et adolescence: réponses aux questions des parents (Drugs and Adolescence: Answers to Parents’ Questions), to gain insight into this often-dangerous area of adolescent behaviour.

RD: Although parents may have used soft drugs when they were young, they find it very difficult to advise their teenagers on this subject. Why?

Gaudet: As a child grows older, parents, who used to be genuine authority figures, often prefer to be their teenager’s friend and confidante. So they’re afraid that if they discuss these issues, they will be seen as too strict and too old-fashioned. They may be worried about cutting off contact with their child if they bring up the topic, or they worry that their teen won’t love them anymore.

However, if you establish a relationship with your child based on equality, it is difficult, later on, to intervene firmly if you discover the child is taking drugs. Therefore, in my opinion, it is still absolutely crucial to bring up the topic, so that you know what’s going on and are able to respond effectively to what is happening in your child’s life.

RD: Is drug use widespread among teenagers?

Gaudet: According to the Comité permanent de lutte à la toxicomanie (the permanent committee on drug-abuse prevention) in a study published in 2002, 42 per cent of teenagers aged 12 to 17 used drugs at least once during the preceding year. * About 15 percent of these teens are what we call “yellow lights,” which means that they’re vulnerable to greater drug use, while six percent of all teenagers (slightly more boys than girls) have a real drug problem.

RD: How can we tell if a teenager’s drug use is a problem?

Gaudet: Teenagers have a drug problem when drugs have a negative impact on several areas of their life. Their grades plummet, they have problems with the law, relations with their family suffer, and their social environment is organized around drug use. In that case, we can say they have a problem with drug addiction.

RD: Is teen drug use something to be worried about?

Gaudet: I think it is, because it is constantly increasing. Fifteen years ago, it was less visible and less socially accepted. People used to hide smoking a joint. Now, we see drug use everywhere. The message that is being conveyed – by the federal project to decriminalize marijuana, for instance – is that taking drugs is not a serious issue, that it’s not a problem. This kind of attitude encourages drug use among teenagers, and especially among the “yellow lights.”

The evolution of the drugs involved is also worrisome. The joints that today’s parents smoked back in the 1970s are nothing like those on the market today. The THC concentration of today’s marijuana (THC is the active ingredient in cannabis) is 25 to 30 percent higher.

However, it should be noted that the great majority of teenagers who occasionally smoke a joint will become perfectly normal adults. It’s all a question of judgement: We don’t want to take drug use lightly, but we won’t get anywhere trying to keep teens locked up in the house until they’re of legal age!

RD: What are signs that may indicate that a teenager is using drugs?

Gaudet: New friends, plummeting grades, marked fatigue, sudden mood swings – these are all signs that may indicate that a teenager has a drug problem. However, they may also be no more than typical adolescent behaviour, which means that we mustn’t get too alarmed. Dialogue remains the best way to get more information.

RD: How would you advise parents to bring up this topic with their kids?

Gaudet: First, you should preach by your example—be honest with yourself about your own drug use. It is also very important to identify the boundary between the kind of behaviour you accept and the kind you don’t. In this area, you need to identify your tolerance threshold and not be afraid to verbalize your expectations.

When you love your child, when you’re interested, when you’re present without taking up too much room, when you show respect and openness, these are all winning attitudes that can only help communication. Finally, I often advise parents who have doubts about their child’s drug use to ask direct questions. Don’t be afraid to verify your fears: Transparency is the best option if you want to be reassured, or at least know what’s going on.

* These figures are for Quebec. In Ontario and British Columbia, over 30 percent of teens used drugs in a previous year.