| Teenage drug abuse: doing something about it. | | | | crowd who were smoking weed and so he |
| Smoking weed, just like drinking alcohol is often done | | | | eventually dropped the football. Here was someone |
| as part of a lifestyle thing. Friends get together to | | | | who had recognised the knowledge in the talk as |
| enjoy themselves and they share a common reality, | | | | truth and wanted to change his ways. Here was a |
| part of which might be the use of alcohol or drugs. | | | | young guy who had made a decision. He agreed he |
| We can all get into habits or routines. And they can | | | | wanted to get back into his football again and that |
| be hard to break, particularly when they are bound | | | | this was the crowd he should hang out with. He also |
| up with friendship and socialising. A habit developed at | | | | agreed that he needed to look after himself better, |
| a younger age however, can be a hard habit to | | | | eat better, work out more. He also said that he still |
| break. | | | | had the goal to make it as a professional footballer. I |
| Making the right choices about who they hang out | | | | could see that this young guy had got some focus |
| with, is very important for the development of | | | | back in his life and that he really meant what he was |
| young people. For them to see who is going to have | | | | saying. We parted company with me giving him the |
| a negative influence on their life, young people need | | | | simple advice that if problems should come up, |
| to have some sense of where they are going. Even | | | | whether feelings of frustration or failure or whether |
| the best of friends can turn out to be pretty | | | | antagonistic comments from his "old"mates, he should |
| unpredictable when under the influence of alcohol and | | | | just choose a trusted person to share this with. |
| drugs and the clearer a young person is on his | | | | Parents can avoid teen drug abuse by being the |
| direction, the less he can be led astray. Teen drug | | | | stable datum in the confusion. |
| abuse can occur when the interest and guidance of | | | | "The Drug Attraction" is an ebook on drug abuse |
| parents go missing. | | | | prevention. Simple to understand, it doesn't pretend |
| After one of my talks, I have had young guys wait | | | | to be academic but is designed to be useable. The |
| for their year group to leave before approaching me | | | | more parents know about the subject of drugs and |
| for advice. One such student in South West London | | | | alcohol, the more they can be responsible for their |
| told me his story of how in year 7 and 8 he was | | | | kids and the more they can help them stay in control |
| really into his football, but then drifted into a different | | | | of their lives <! |