It’s not always easy to talk to teenagers about substance use. But, it’s more important now than ever.
“Parents matter,” says Kasie Coulombe, coordinator of The Royal’s Early Intervention Program.
“You are your child’s most important role model and best defense against substance use.”
Here are the Early Intervention team’s tips for having useful conversations with your teen about
substance use:
- Talk about substance use regularly and often. It’s not about having one giant talk about substance use. It’s about the many mini-conversations. Always consider your teen’s point of view, and approach your conversations with empathy and understanding.
- Listen to and respect their opinions. Approach these issues with curiosity and genuine interest rather than fear and concern.
- Be informed. Parents should be a child’s first source of information about substance use. Provide information that is meaningful and balanced so that your teen feels empowered to make healthy choices. You don’t have to be the expert on drugs and alcohol, but can be there to discuss concerns or questions in an informed way.
- Look for opportunities to talk. Take advantage of teachable moments, such as a situation that arises at school or in the media. Often the best moments for these conversations are organic, in the midst of daily life — like while you’re driving in the car or at the dinner table.
- Understand why teens choose to use drugs and alcohol. By exploring the factors that often motivate young people to experiment with substance use, you can help your teen better understand why and how to make these choices. These motivating factors include peer pressure, friends’ influence, curiosity, stress relief, and seeing it as a way to have fun.
The Early Intervention Program serves 16 schools in Ottawa. It helps students at risk of developing a substance use problem, typically between grades 7 and 10.
The Royal has also had more than 13,500 high school students visit in recent years for “Is it Just Me?” This education series starts open, informal conversations with youth about mental wellness and mental health problems. Students hear personal stories about mental illness and addiction, get evidence-based clinical information, and take a glimpse into the fascinating science of the human brain.
Know a student who could use a mental wellness boost? We have an app for that. Check out HealthyMinds in your app store.