Drug Abuse Warning Signs

The mood swings and unpredictable behavior that most teens experience makes it difficult for parents to tell if a child is using drugs. The anti-drug education our kids get in school barely counters the "street education" they pick up from peers and our culture. What are the signs that your child is experimenting with drugs or alcohol, or is at risk of doing so?

• change of friends (be extra wary if new friendships develop with older teenagers or young adults
• if a best friend uses drugs
• careless about her personal appearance
• a decline in participation at home
• diminished interest in hobbies, sports, or favorite activities
• irritability, overreacts to mild criticism or avoids family contact
• eating and sleeping patterns have changed
• lack of appreciation for values that used to be important
• extreme emotional mood swings
• secretive phone calls
• lying
• changes in school performance, tardiness, truancy, and/or disciplinary problems, frequently breaks curfews
• missing money, personal belongings, prescription drugs or alcohol
• trouble with the law, shoplifting, truancy, DUI, disorderly conduct
• using street or drug language
• eyes are red or glassy, or nose is runny, but no allergies
• a family history of drug use or alcoholism
• cigarette smoking can be an early sign that other substance use may be in the picture
• you discover pipes (or bongs), rolling papers, medicine bottles, butane lighters, homemade pipes or other suspected drub paraphernalia

Abuse vs. Addiction

You have a tough job. Keeping your child away from drugs and alcohol is challenging. Half of all 12th graders have used illicit drugs, according to a survey (Monitoring the Future) sponsored and released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2006. But with love and attention, you can do it. Your best weapon is to arm yourself with education. What substances are out there? What are the signs of abuse and addiction? If you think your child is abusing or is addicted, get help immediately and educate yourself.

Abuse and addiction are not the same. Drug abuse always comes before addiction, which is a chronic and treatable disease. Drug abuse starts when your teen makes a conscious decision to take drugs. Used too often, drugs may cause your child to crave the substance. That's because physical changes in the brain take place. Neurons, or brain cells, use chemical messengers called neurotransmitters to "talk" to each other. Drugs interfere with this process by making both temporary and structural changes in brain cells. Mood, memory, thinking and even motor skills such as walking may be affected. When this happens, drug abuse turns into addiction. People who are addicted have a compulsive craving and cannot quit by themselves. Not everyone becomes addicted. But any drug abuse is dangerous.

Teenagers are in a phase of life in which their brains and bodies are still developing. New research suggests that alcohol may harm a developing teen's brain. Drug abuse and addiction interfere with their sense of who they are and how they learn and mature. These problems can harm a teen's future - physically, emotionally and behaviorally, even leading to depression and anxiety. Drugs can weaken the ability to concentrate and store information. Being under the influence of drugs can also impair judgment, leading to risky decisions about sex or about getting into a car with someone who is also under the influence.

Substances that can lead to drug abuse and addiction include alcohol, steroids, over-the-counter medications, prescription medications and illegal drugs (e.g., cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin).