Drugs are nothing pretty to have to deal with when it comes to your teenage kids. Teenage itself is a difficult time in an individual’s life and various pressures tend to pop up that can lead them into a multitude of wrong directions. Teens usually look to their peers for validation and support of their activities, and as the attitude is generally one of experimentation, it becomes difficult to avoid trying new, sometimes condemned practices.

The most common experimentation that teens try out is one that involves recreational drugs. Since these are easier to come by such as marijuana, and do not necessarily have adverse physical health effects, teens feel there is no harm in trying such substances out. Engaging in this kind of activity has even gone so far as to become a social norm, and instead of having teens abuse substances due to issues like depression and stress, the pattern seems to be that teens are taking this as simply a part of growing up and hence a kind of semi-initiation rite into adulthood.

For many parents this is something taken for granted. Teens are still at the end of the day children and hence are bound to come across various temptations and recreational drugs are only one part of that; something just about everyone goes through and manages to struggle out of one way or the other. For these individuals, recreational drug use is simply a function of growing up and furthers in some cases a necessity.

The necessity might stem from fitting in with peers, coping with some external pressures involving academics or just problems in relationships with boyfriends/girlfriends or even parents. Recreational drug use may be used with good intentions in this case, but the reality of the matter is that just like any substance, it could lead to bigger problems and addictions to other substances.  It may be argues that this sort of drug use is simply a necessity but if as a parent one looks into a teen’s behavior and sees this happening more often than not, then its time one realizes that there is no excuse for such activity. Drug abuse among teenagers generally scared parents, and not without premise. 

Letting things pass by as innocent or ‘phases’ can have some harmful long term effects on your children. For starters, it teaches them that it is ok to delve into potentially harmful things because they think they will be able to handle it. The truth is no is ready to handle any kind of addiction and the physical and emotional trauma that ensues from it. Banking on any external relaxant can have consequences that stifle one’s ability to face problems independently and handle them head on.

For most, recreational drug abuse seems to be a minor issue when it comes to teens but if neglected it can turn disastrous within weeks. The best way to avoid this is to thoroughly talk to your teen about the hazards and the thin line which divides recreation from abuse. Also, you can get information concerning the dangers from your local centres for substance abuse treatment.