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Cause of Teenage Drug Addiction

There is no one cause of teenage drug addiction, but there are several crucial factors that could make your teen more vulnerable to becoming addicted to drugs. Here are a few:

Lack of Discipline

Thanks to Dr. Spock, whose well-intended advice was taken way out of proportion, we now have a generation of parents who are more worried about our children’s feelings than how they behave. We no longer want to discipline our kids; we want them to like us. Unfortunately, that places too much power into their hands, often causing them to self destruct.

Yes, letting your child know you love him is important, but it is also crucial to discipline him and allow him to face the consequences of his poor decisions. Fail to get tough with your kids, and continually rescue them when they screw up and you’re asking for trouble, and a child with a drug addiction.

Lack of Supervision

Parties, especially those that are unsupervised, are a big cause of teenage drug addiction. While you can’t watch your children all the time, you can cut back on the number of new kids trying drugs (especially your own), if you make sure that the parties your children attend are properly supervised.

Trauma

Any kind of stressful trauma in your child’s life can be a cause of teenage drug addiction. These include parental divorce, death of a loved one or moving to a new town or new school. Don’t think a move is traumatic for your child? Imagine if you were forced to spend all day with a group of people who didn’t know you and could also be cruel. Plus, you have coping skills your child has not yet likely developed.

Marijuana can be alluring because it takes the edge off of emotional pain and gives you a temporary sense of confidence. It can be a deadly seduction to a teen in pain.

Peer Pressure

Kids desperately want to fit in, so when a friend or classmate offers him a joint, he may be afraid to say no. David Sheff, author of the book, Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction, says using drugs helped him become accepted. "Of course, it wasn’t articulated," he writes, "but pot, with its outlaw cachet, was a passkey into a loosely defined social circle. To be inside was a relief after my lonely geekiness in junior high."

Drugs are ubiquitous these days, but limiting the amount of time your child spends with other kids by home schooling him, is likely to limit the risks of drug addiction.

Having Parents Who Once Used Drugs
Or Are Still Using Drugs

Being too open about a history of drug use is also a cause of teenage drug addiction. Kids are more influenced by your actions than the words that come out of your mouth. That’s why it’s never wise to share everything with your children, especially when they are children.

Parents and athletes with a past drug use who are now successful send a powerful subliminal message. I did drugs once, and look where I am today. Likewise, if you are currently using drugs, you need to stop. Otherwise you are likely to increase the chances that your child will develop a drug addiction.

Learn More About
Teenage Drug Addiction

Drug addiction among teenagers is far higher than in any other age group and can cause dangerous, long-term effects, including brain damage and death. In addition, the type of drugs being abused is changing. Read more.

The good news about teens and drug addiction is today's youth aren't abusing illicit drugs like ecstasy, crack, LSD and cocaine like they used to. The bad news is they are still getting high; only now it's with prescription medicines. Read more.

Glue sniffing and abusing other types of inhalants, such as typewriter correction fluid, felt tip markers, spray paint and air fresheners are increasingly becoming a widespread problem in this country. Inhalants are a gateway drug that can lead to addictions of other drugs, such as cocaine. Read more

Teenage prescription drug addiction is a fast-growing epidemic in our highly medicated society that is likely to worsen in the years to come. Learn why prescription pills are one cause of teenage drug addiction.

Drug addiction in teens hurts not only the addict, but also those around him, and the cycle of destruction a drug addiction causes can last for years. This is one friend's story.

Teens and drug abuse are often linked because most people who become addicted to drugs and alcohol usually try abusive substances for the first time at an early age. It doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor, whether you come from a Christian home or what race you are. Your children are at risk of becoming addicted to drugs.

Cause of Teenage Drug Abuse What can lead a teenager to try – and eventually become addicted to - drugs? The answer might surprise you, and can usually be found right in your home.

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