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Parents booklet - Talking with your kids about drugs

What families can do about illicit drugs, Will your children listen to you?

PDF printable version of What families can do about illicit drugs, Will your children listen to you? (PDF 36 KB)

One of the most effective deterrents to drug use amongst young people is a parent who is devoted to spending time with them. Someone who talks with them about their friends, what goes on at school, the sport they play, what interests them.

The more parents and other family members get involved in children’s lives, the more positive young people will feel about themselves and the more likely they will be to respond favourably to their family’s views.

Making sure you know where your children are and who they are with doesn’t mean you don’t trust them, it means that you care enough to be involved.

Always remember that contact with illicit drugs involves the risk of criminal penalties and possibly a criminal record. This means that it is worth spending some time to check a few facts so that you can talk confidently about drugs with young people.

They will be more likely to accept your advice if you don’t exaggerate or make false claims.

Remember that you don’t need to be an expert about drugs to help a young person choose not to use them.

Will your children listen to you?

When it comes to talking about drugs, extensive research conducted with Australian parents and their children tells us that young people will appreciate your advice and look to you for your views.

But they will expect you to be informed, up-front and honest. And if you show you are listening to them, they are more likely to listen to you.

Regardless of your knowledge and experience of drugs, you have a valuable role to play in talking with your children about drugs. When a young person is considering whether or not to take drugs, an important issue for them is “What will my parents think?” This means that it is very important to make your position absolutely clear that you don’t want them to use illicit drugs. Ever.

Again, by being involved in your children’s lives, their friendships, school and sporting activities, they will be more likely to look to you for advice, and their self-esteem will be enhanced so they can more confidently resist any pressure to take drugs.

“Parents and guardians have crucial roles to play in determining how well-adjusted and healthy our children will be. It is a responsibility that we cannot take lightly or expect others to take on for us. Children don’t get to choose their families and the onus is on us to give them every chance to reach their full potential and become the future we want for Australia.”
Dr John Herron, Chairman, Australian National Council on Drugs