How to Keep Your Teenager Alcohol & Drug-Free

Drugs and alcohols are the biggest threats looming over the teenage world. For the underworld mafia, school and college going students are the easiest targets whom it can lure the students into drug racket. And once these students get addicted, they automatically become a money generator for the mafia. Only good parenting and proper care at home can help American teenagers to avoid the path drug and alcohol. Parents need to understand the cause of it as why kids sway towards alcohol and drugs even they are told and taught at home and school that consumption of drugs and alcohol is injurious to health. Parents need to do better counselling with their kids on the regular time.

First parents need to keep watch on their child on what they watch in various media like social media, televisions, magazines, and to which celeb their kid adore. If one's kind adore a Hollywood star that drinks and smokes a lot and most of his scenes in the movies show him as a smoking stud, then your child is bound to copy the reel life in his real life.  It is the duty of the parents that they keep a good watch and diverts his attention to other areas like sports, music arts, etc. America is a free world.  But I feel for a better tomorrow, at home parents should lock access to adult sites like porn, violence contents on the internet. These appear to be cool stuff and lure a teenager to addiction. But banning is a secondary measure; parents should provide deep-rooted values so that their kids themselves reject the path of addiction and abuse.

Second, in today's American world, especially middle-class Americans, both parents are working and away from their kids almost nine hours a day. Six to seven hours is spent in a good night sleep so very less quality time is spent with the kids. Hence such a child in search of entertainment looks towards to outside world and may end up in the social circle which is drug addicted. Hence to avoid such a point of no return, parents should be extra cautious. A stitch in time saves nine. Working parents must spend at least quality weekends with their kids, like a family dinner or lunch with children in their favourite restaurants, watch the new release movies together with the family and so many other ways. Parents should not break the communication channel with their kids and like a two-way traffic should listen to them before giving the opinion on anything.

Third parents should express love. Parents must understand at adolescence their kids' body undergo a lot of biological and psychological changes. Hence the child should be taken under confidence that no matter if the world gets apart, his parents are behind them. This gives him the confidence to take decisions and face the world. Nobody is born successful. Everybody has faced failures. But the successful is one who despite all failures keep his spirits and motivation up and struggles to reach his goal. Today teenagers try to find for easy success. And if they are unsuccessful, they become depressed. And in this depression, American teenagers seek refuge in alcohol and other drugs like marijuana, etc. Only love care and a good friend like advice from parents can bring back the child from addiction and would give confidence in him to fight back.

Fourth, American teenagers see a lot of abuse. Be it in television on news, or at school or their parents themselves not in good terms or divorced. Such teenagers are scared and feel alone. In such extreme fears, one does the same which he fears the most. He resorts to violence and abuse. And to seek refuge, that may be out of guilt or to in a state of oblivion; one chooses a path of drug addiction. Here parents have a vital role to play. Whatever may be their problem, they must treat the child with respect. They must not take their child as granted whom they were given only with food and shelter. At one hand parents should teach their child to be independent and another hand they must have a control of any situation not going out of hand.

Fifth is rejection in Love. Many American teenagers date each other and try to settle or marry the one whom they love. Getting rejected in love and getting ditched brings a sense of humiliation in them. They started feeling low about his or her personality, looks and body shape. In desperation, these teenagers resort to drinking and smoking. The hangover of losing their love looms over their minds and becomes hard to forget. Such teenagers if left alone in distress can take extreme steps like suicides. Here parenting love should be provided to overcome the pain of their lost love.

Teenage is a state where like an Eyas, the fledgeling is ready to fly to the world. It should have the confidence on its wings to take up the world and face whatever comes to them. This is because where values and teachings of good parents are put to the test.