Talking to Your Kids about Drugs: The Earlier, the Better
Experts say that now is the perfect time to talk to your kids about drugs, as these conversations can save your child from a life of drug abuse. Brian, a recovering addict, told Texas’ KTRE that he began smoking marijuana when he was 12 years old. “Marijuana, it always leads to something. It did for me and everybody I know, it leads to something else. Always has and I think it always will.”
He added, “Ten years later…who cares how cool it was then, you know? I don’t even have a college education, I didn’t graduate high school. How cool is that, right?”
Brian, who traveled down what he calls a “dead-end road,” said that parents need to look for red flags to help their kids get back on the right track. “If you start noticing things like your child’s not spending very much time with the family, you need to get behind it and figure out why,” he said. “Get some help while they’re young.”
"I think it's important for them to see if their eating habits have changed because a lot of times if a child is abusing drugs or alcohol, they're eating habits will significantly change," said Phyllis Grandgeorge of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council. "They'll be more moody, possibly more anxious about things where they weren't before."
Brian also said parents need to pay attention because sometimes that’s all kids need. “Talk to them, stay involved,” he said. “Don't just sit back and wait for the answers to come, ‘cause they're not. It's only going to get worse. If your car breaks down, do you just sit back and hope it'll fix itself? No, you go out and get it fixed."
Brian said his drug abuse lead to multiple run-ins with the law, and that he spent three years in the Texas Department of Correction. He was released two months ago, and is now telling his story to warn others of the mistakes he made.