How to Effectively Talk to Your Children About Not Smoking Pot
Many of them use it openly and on a regular basis. If you ask them why the smoke it they will usually say because everyone else is. However there still are quite a few teenagers who do not choose to smoke pot. What makes them different from the other teenagers. According to studies done by scientist who surveyed several large groups of teenagers over a two year period, those who do not use pot were warned about it before they were ever offered it. Sometimes it can be very effective to let your teenager know some of the consequences they may face by using this drug.
For example they could have run-ins with the law, and possible health risks, just to enjoy a few minute height. Many teenagers also stated that they like the few minute high that they get. And this is what they tell others when they are trying to get them to use pot. You should explain to your teenager that using pot can interfere with brain development and cause them to experience negative feelings. Ask them if they really think that a few minutes of pleasure is really worth the risk.
Others may make it seem like a lot of fun, but after the few minute high is over you begin to experience the pain. The most common adverse reaction to marijuana is a state of anxiety, sometimes accompanied by paranoid thought. It can range from general suspicion to a fear of losing total control of a situation. There are many who end up reaching a point where they need professional help.
Another problem is that many teenagers feel that there are no real health risk related with smoking pot. They usually feel that they are young and healthy and unable to be affected by smoking pot a few times a day. Unfortunately many do not realize that the problems tend to develop when they are much older. Years later when they are ready to begin their adult life they may find out that they have lung cancer, or something a lot worse.
There are many booklets that you can use to talk to your children about pot, and help them to say no. One is “Turning down the chance to use a drug is your right.” This is a booklet published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. You may want to also do some extensive research on the topic before you talk to your child. You also should not wait until they are teenagers to talk to them on this topic.
Chances are that by the time they are ten years old or even younger they will already be very familiar with a large variety of drugs. They may not have tried them yet, but by this point they have learned a great deal on the topic in school. Take the time and talk to your child when they are young, even when they are first starting school. This way by the time they are teenagers they will be used to discussing topics like this with you and will not become defensive when the topic is brought up.
