Parents must talk to their children about drugs
Feb 07, 2011
THIS is a reaction to a letter that was published in New Vision on February 2, titled “Mind where you send your kid! High grades are not enough.â€
By Etheldreda Nakimuli-Mpungu
THIS is a reaction to a letter that was published in New Vision on February 2, titled “Mind where you send your kid! High grades are not enough.â€
Nancy, the writer of the letter, laments about a brother who joined Senior One as a humble Christian boy, only to become a violent drug addict four years down the road.
In a few days to come, almost half-a-million innocent pupils who sat their Primary Leaving Examinations last year will be joining Senior One in various secondary schools. Others will join various vocational institutes.
Exposure to drugs in secondary school poses a particular threat to the health and wellbeing of our children at a critical point in their lives — when they are growing, learning, maturing, and laying the foundation for their adult years.
To be honest, there is no magic bullet for preventing teen drug use. But parents can be influential by talking to their children about the dangers of drug abuse. After all, when our children become addicts we are the ones who suffer tremendously, and research has shown that it is better to talk about drugs when children are young.
Here are some of the things we can do. First, we must have honest conversations about drug and alcohol abuse with our children before we send them off to Senior One.
Let them know the bitter fact that there will be senior students using drugs in their dream school they are joining in a few days to come.
The commonest drug used is called marijuana, which is usually a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves or stems. Most users roll loose marijuana into a cigarette referred to as a joint or a nail.
Second, parents need to remain actively engaged in their children’s lives. Parents should stay involved in schoolwork, recreation, and social activities with their children’s friends. Get to know the various challenges that your child may be dealing with such as peer pressure, academic stress, boy and girl friend issues, poor relations with teachers, and work with your child to find solutions. When these issues are brushed aside, then our children will turn to drug use as a means of coping with the problems and frustrations of adolescence.
Research shows that appropriate parental monitoring can reduce future drug use, even among those adolescents who may be prone to drug use, such as those who are rebellious.
Lastly, as parents, we should remember that our children look to us for help and guidance in working out problems and in making decisions, including the decision not to abuse drugs. As a role model, we should not abuse drugs or alcohol, this will reinforce our message to our children.
The writer is an MBChB,MMED(Psych) Doctoral Candidate ,Mental Health Department,Johns Hopkins University Psychiatrist - Butabika Hospital
THIS is a reaction to a letter that was published in New Vision on February 2, titled “Mind where you send your kid! High grades are not enough.â€
Nancy, the writer of the letter, laments about a brother who joined Senior One as a humble Christian boy, only to become a violent drug addict four years down the road.
In a few days to come, almost half-a-million innocent pupils who sat their Primary Leaving Examinations last year will be joining Senior One in various secondary schools. Others will join various vocational institutes.
Exposure to drugs in secondary school poses a particular threat to the health and wellbeing of our children at a critical point in their lives — when they are growing, learning, maturing, and laying the foundation for their adult years.
To be honest, there is no magic bullet for preventing teen drug use. But parents can be influential by talking to their children about the dangers of drug abuse. After all, when our children become addicts we are the ones who suffer tremendously, and research has shown that it is better to talk about drugs when children are young.
Here are some of the things we can do. First, we must have honest conversations about drug and alcohol abuse with our children before we send them off to Senior One.
Let them know the bitter fact that there will be senior students using drugs in their dream school they are joining in a few days to come.
The commonest drug used is called marijuana, which is usually a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves or stems. Most users roll loose marijuana into a cigarette referred to as a joint or a nail.
Second, parents need to remain actively engaged in their children’s lives. Parents should stay involved in schoolwork, recreation, and social activities with their children’s friends. Get to know the various challenges that your child may be dealing with such as peer pressure, academic stress, boy and girl friend issues, poor relations with teachers, and work with your child to find solutions. When these issues are brushed aside, then our children will turn to drug use as a means of coping with the problems and frustrations of adolescence.
Research shows that appropriate parental monitoring can reduce future drug use, even among those adolescents who may be prone to drug use, such as those who are rebellious.
Lastly, as parents, we should remember that our children look to us for help and guidance in working out problems and in making decisions, including the decision not to abuse drugs. As a role model, we should not abuse drugs or alcohol, this will reinforce our message to our children.
The writer is an MBChB,MMED(Psych) Doctoral Candidate ,Mental Health Department,Johns Hopkins University Psychiatrist - Butabika Hospital