The risks of drug abuse

Posted on March 27, 2014 by john in Health care

Today, our children may be exposed to drugs at an early age. We refer to drugs that are illegal, not prescribed by your doctor.

Drug abuse is a preventable behavior. However, the prolonged effects of drugs on the brain can lead to addiction, which is a chronic, relapsing brain disease. For any person addicted to drugs, compulsive need to use drugs can be overwhelming, affecting all aspects of your life and your family.

Drug use can have serious consequences for the future, both as a young adult, because drugs can alter the way the brain functions and cause other serious medical consequences. Drug abuse can prevent your child perform well in school. Later, you can hinder your ability to find and keep a job, even after graduation. Research has shown that communication with children is an effective way to prevent drug use. It’s never too early or too late to talk to our children about the risks associated with drug abuse.

The purpose of this publication is to provide scientific information about the effects of drugs on health, which will serve to talk to their children about the consequences that they may have. Drugs for which discussed in this booklet are inhalants, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, prescription drugs, MDMA (Ecstasy) and anabolic steroids
We observe and monitor our children.

Even though we did not want it that way, our children can have access to drugs in many places. Although difficult, it is very important that you talk to your children about the consequences of drug use, and urges do if you suspect you are already using them. You know your child better than anyone. Most parents develop a sixth sense about their children helping them to sense even small changes in them. There may be other reasons to explain the changes you observe, but generally when a child or young person experimenting with or using drugs, it can show changes in :
Photo of a young stressed out with their parents standing behind him.

School performance : if you get bad grades, missing classes or develops a bad behavior ;
The interest in activities : If you lose interest in your usual hobbies, favorite sports or activities;
Daily routines : if you eat too much or stops eating, if you sleep too much or sleep longer ;
The selection of friends: if you change your friends, or if it meets boys who are known to use drugs ;
Personality: if you show a bad mood, nervousness, aggression or persistent rebellion ;
Behavior : if locked his room, drawers or boxes.

There are certain things you can find in your home, or in possession of their children which may indicate that they are using drugs. For example :

Rolling papers and rolling cigarettes, or pipes used for smoking marijuana ;
Medicine bottles, mirrors, or small squares of glass used for cocaine ;
Socks smelling hairspray and empty cans or glue or hair spray containers, the same could be what is left after using inhalants.