TIME TO TALK
Parents play a pivotal role in youth substance abuse prevention
When it comes to talking to their kids about substance use, Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez, commissioner of the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS), has some simple advice for parents. The earlier, the better. More than half of all new illicit drug users are under 18 years old, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The majority of illicit drug users 12 years and older report marijuana as their drug of choice — as well as the first drug they try — though alcohol remains the most frequently used and abused substance by youth and young adults.
By age 13, one out of three teens in New York State has already tried alcohol, which means waiting to talk about drinking until your teen learns to drive, or warning them about binge drinking only when they head off to college, puts parents way behind the curve.
“The earlier someone starts to use alcohol and drugs, the greater their risk for becoming addicted at a later stage,” Gonzalez-Sanchez says.
“Addiction is a brain disease that can affect anyone, any family, and at any time.”
So when should parents start talking to their kids about substance abuse? As early as preschool, according to NYS OASAS.
“Remember that having many smaller conversations as your child ages, instead of one big conversation, is more effective at preventing underage drinking and drug use and is probably easier for the parent and the child,” GonzalezSanchez says.
“Talk today, tomorrow and always. Don’t ever stop talking.”
If talking to a toddler about drugs and alcohol before he can tie his shoes feels overwhelming, the NYS OASAS offers tips on how to talk to children about substance abuse at various stages of their development through its campaign, Talk2Prevent (www.talk2prevent. ny.gov).
Whether it’s while watching TV, driving in the car, eating dinner or over a text message, Gonzalez-Sanchez says that where parents talk to their children about drugs and alcohol isn’t as important as how you talk to them.
“Parents should be honest, real and direct,” she says. “And they shouldn’t be afraid to ask their child questions.”
As children age, the number of influencers in their lives increases. And even though it may not always feel like it to the parents of a teenager, as their children enter young adulthood, parents continue to play a pivotal role in the opinions they form about life choices like substance use.
“Sometimes being the parent of a teen feels like you have been replaced by friends and school and work, but the truth is that parents are the No. 1 influencer on teens,” Gonzalez-Sanchez says. “What parents say and do has a huge impact on the life of a teen.”
Starting a dialogue about substance abuse early in life is important because of the effect drugs and alcohol have on the developing brain, which undergoes dynamic change between the ages of 12 to 21, according to the American Medical Association.
Heavy alcohol use can have both long- and short-term effects on brain function. Nearly a third of high school seniors in New York State currently report binge drinking regularly, according to data collected by the NYS OASAS as part of its Talk2Prevent campaign.
But marijuana use, prescription drug abuse and synthetic drug use has been on the rise as well, Gonzalez-Sanchez says.
“Currently the rates are still low in comparison to underage drinking, but it is something we should all be aware of.”
The good news is that addiction “is one of the only diseases that is 100% preventable,” Gonzalez-Sanchez adds.
“Probably the most common misconception parents have is that addiction cannot happen to their child,” she says.
“Parents need to understand that it could be their child and they should take steps to help their child avoid this chronic, potentially fatal disease.”