Drugs and alcohol may affect an adolescent’s overall health and lifespan. But what can parents do to steer their children away from these vices?
What Parents Can Do
- Lead by example. If you’ll drink, do so in moderation. Show them how to be responsible drinkers. For instance, never drink and drive, rather, assign a designated driver.
- Set some family rules about alcohol and drug use and be firm about it. Emphasize that setting these rules to protect them.
- Talk about the negative effects of illegal drugs and how it can affect their future and health.
- Correct their views about alcohol and drug use. Some adolescents drink and use drugs because they think along the lines of “Everybody drinks, so why shouldn’t I?” and “Drugs won’t hurt you anyway!”
- Teach them different ways to say NO, like “No, I’m not into that,” or “I’m sorry, I can’t – my parents would be really mad.”
- Encourage activities and friendships as these will influence their behavior on alcohol and drug use.

Tobacco Use
Since it’s highly related to drug and alcohol use, tobacco use is also one of the most common adolescent health issues in our country.
According to WHO, majority of the adult smokers now started their habit when they were just adolescents. Teens start smoking for various reasons, but one thing is for certain – it brings a lot of negative effects on their overall health.
The long-term effects of smoking include:
- Nicotine addiction
- Higher risk of developing heart diseases
- Increased risk of lung diseases
- Cancer
Additionally, if we’re going to include the list of short-term negative effects, you’ll see things like chronic coughing, shortness of breath, stained teeth, and bad breath.
Since adolescents, especially those who are of legal age, can easily access cigarettes, what strategies can ease them away from smoking?
E-Cigarettes: Benefits and Risks
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