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The most immediate reaction that most parents have when they find out their child is using drugs or alcohol is to panic. It can be a frightening thought that you child is using drugs because of the potential risks and effects.

But unfortunately the best thing to do when you find out your child is using drugs or alcohol is NOT to panic. One thing to remember is that although illegal drugs are widely available only a very small percentage of young people actually go on to develop dependency problems. The biggest myth is that by using Cannabis it is bound to lead them to a heroin dependency, this is not true.

The best thing you can do is get information on what drug you know or think they are using. Knowing all the facts, the effects and risks will be beneficial for when you decide to talk to your child about their drug use, as you’ll know what you are talking about.

When you talk to them try to stay calm and don’t be surprised if they know a lot about drugs already, this isn’t an indication that they are using them all but may have had drugs education at school or accessed some of the many drug information websites.

It is important for you and your child to talk about drugs and this may take a number of tries as they may not want to talk about it with anyone let alone mum or dad so be patient. Share with them all the risks of their drug use including the legal aspects as many young people do not realise that Cannabis is STILL illegal and that they have the potential for receiving a police record and this could affect their schooling, jobs and careers.

The main thing is to be there for your child. It may take many attempts to sit down with them to talk about drugs but when you do they want to feel supported and most young people are really embarrassed about letting you down.

If you are concerned about your child and suspect or know that they are using drugs and/or alcohol and is causing problems then ru-ok? can offer you and your child support. Click onto the contact us page for more details.

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