Parents’ guide to prevent and protect children from drug addiction

The tentacles of drugs have alarmingly spread over children and youth of society. Teenagers in the age range of eleven to sixteen resort to addiction of sorts. In small and big cities, young boys of both rich and poor fall prey to drugs consumption either through their companionship or circles or by the drug peddlers. Tiny stalls selling biscuits, chocolate and cigarettes on the sidewalks deal in dangerous drugs clandestinely. A drug addicted child or young boy or girl becomes extremely difficult to handle for parents. To prevent and protect children from drug addiction, you need to know why children resort to drug addiction, how to find out if your child is under addiction, and what you need to do if that is the case.

However, the biggest problem for parents is to reasonably ‘guess’ if their children are under addiction? The word ‘guess’ is closed under apostrophes because I was about to write ‘doubt’ in its place. But doubting children that they are taking drugs can have many damaging effects. It is better you keep them under strict observation without unnecessarily questioning their activities.

Why children resort to drug addiction and how to find out if your child is under addiction?

The first symptom is children and young people under addiction show a lot of rigidity for money. Parents should stay away from giving extra money to their children. If they are demanding money under pretexts, ask them to be specific on their expenses.

• Children may lose their temper when they are denied money. You need not react in such cases but remain calm and bold. Demanding a lot of money and flaring up in case of being denied might be a sure symptom that they are under addiction.

• Examine the eyes and nails of your child. Addiction makes the eyes sleepy and nails also show tinges of color.

• Remember that at first your child may get drugs free of cost from their friends or peddlers. However, once they are habituated with the consumption, they are asked to bring money for purchasing.

• Is your child frustrated about something? If so, he is at high risk of drug addiction. Failure in love, exams and loss of job can raise drug addiction among children.

• Family disturbances also cater to the mental instability of your children. If father is a drunkard, unemployed and womanizer, it could be a solid factor for drug addiction. Extra-marital relationship of either of the parents demoralizes the children to a great extent.

• Befriending the rich kids sometimes acts as a medium for the children to take alcohol and drugs.

• In case of divorce of parents, children do resort to drug addiction. Emotional loss acts as a major reason for addiction.

• Addiction casts a major impression on the face of addict. An unusually withered face or appearance is a major mark of drugs consumption.

What the parents need to do, once they know that their children are under addiction

• Most of the parents are shocked when they learn that their children have begun taking drugs. Usually they react violently by beating and scolding their children. But remember an addict is an unconscious person, devoid of any understanding. Beating and scolding shall worsen the situation. In any case, an addict is a victim.

• Once you make sure that your child has become an addict, contact forthwith with drugs counseling center or psychiatrist at your place. Consult with them giving full details of your child’s addiction.

• Request the counselor or the doctor to come to your home and without divulging identity, he needs to talk to your child. Better introduce him to your child as your friend and make him talk to your child.

• This is required in order to obtain all pertinent information that led your boy to get habituated with addiction.

• Prepare a detailed plan in consultation with the experts in drugs counseling for the treatment of your child.

• Hide all your valuable belongings like gold ornaments and cash from the sight of your child. Children and young sons and daughters under addiction cross limits when they need money to buy drugs for addiction. Never give surplus money for pocket expenses.

• There’s a saying that goes like this: “a person becomes a drunkard not because of alcohol but due to the company of the drunkards”. Stay vigilant on the friends of your child. Once he stops befriending them, it becomes easy to wean your children from addiction.

• Drug addiction is complexly and intimately related with sex. There are instances that girls from very well-off and decent families receive drugs in exchange of sex. Therefore, if female children in the family become addicts, it becomes extremely difficult to save them. Girls require more careful attention and treatment.

• Do not divulge or discuss with your relatives and friends regarding your child’s addiction habits. In such complex cases, they cannot give you any help rather spread the news far and wide. By this, your child will be socially ostracized and be a hated object. Consult only with the counselors and doctors.

Focus yourself on treatment and rehabilitation of the child

• A gigantic Banyan tree is the product of a tiniest seed. Try your best to know for what exact reason your child fell victim to drug abuses. Knowing the root-cause helps to find the right solution.

• Do not allow your child to spend time alone in his room. Usually loneliness or solitude motivates consumption of drugs to a greater extent.

Drug addiction has become a common feature in our society. It is difficult to describe the plight of the parents, whose children have fallen victims to drugs. They need extreme patience and fortitude to face such crisis. With consistent positive approach, their children can definitely get well.

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