Drugs
Drugs and substance misuse are probably one of the biggest concerns for parents and carers. Young people learn about drugs and other substances from a number of places such as the TV, the internet, their friends and even through experimenting themselves. Some of what they know will be true, but some may not be.
The best way to ensure that they are able to make educated decisions about drugs is to give them the facts or by telling them where they can get the information. There is a lot of help available for you to do this and you won't be alone in having questions.
The video clips below created by FRANK and The Mix capture how and why children and young may be curious about or take drugs:
Further advice regarding drugs
Alcohol
Many teenagers and young people think that drinking alcohol is just something that people of their age do. They may do it to fit in with friends or to have a good night out or simply because they're not supposed to.
Most parents probably expect that their children will experiment with alcohol at some point, perhaps when they start university or maybe earlier. Drinking alcohol is a choice and although many young people choose not to drink, there is information available to advise those that do on how to stay safe and what the dangers are.
The video clip below from Drinkaware describes some of the risks of underage drinking, it also explains how to talk to children about alcohol, about how to say no or be responsible with alcohol.
Further advice regarding alcohol
Smoking
Some teenagers may start smoking before they fully understand the health consequences of doing so. Information and help is available for teenagers and adults who want to quit smoking:
