the facts on
DRUGS
What people in the Pacific community say...
“Alcohol and drugs are very easy to get in Australia. Having a good time at home
or our way of social drinking is lost here because sometimes we cannot control
ourselves in using alcohol and drug”.
(Alcohol and Other Drug Use in NSW Pacific Island
Commnities: the Findings from a Photo Voice Research
Project, PIWASS, 2004)
What are drugs?
Drugs – both legal and illegal – are very much part of
the world in which our kids grow up. Research shows
that most teenagers in Australia have tried alcohol
and more than a third have tried cannabis.
Drugs are substances that affect the normal way that
a person’s mind or body works.
Legal drugs include alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, and
medicines such as pain killers and flu tablets. It is illegal
to sell alcohol or cigarettes to anyone under 18 years
old.
As parents, we worry about the damage our kids may
suffer if they experiment with drugs. Sometimes we
may feel powerless to help if they have problems with
drugs or alcohol.
There are, however, ways we can help protect them.
The first step is to understand teenage drug-taking and
learn the facts about commonly used drugs.
Then we need to talk about drugs with our kids. Often
they will have the wrong information so parents can
help educate their kids about drugs and how they can
affect their behaviour and health.
It is equally important to look at the message we are
sending our kids through our own behaviour. If you
smoke and drink too much, children may think it’s
okay for them to do the same.
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Illegal drugs include cannabis (marijuana), ecstasy,
speed, LSD, cocaine and heroin.
Why teenagers take drugs
Teenagers take drugs for the same reasons adults do.
They want to fit in with their friends, relax, block out
problems or cope with boredom or change.
They may also take drugs to deal with the pressures of
growing up. See the story on parent-teenager conflict
in this magazine for information on the pressures
teenagers face.
The facts on drugs
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Teaching sensible drinking
Your children won’t necessarily become long-term
drug users just because they experiment with drugs.
You can’t guarantee that they won’t try drugs, but
there are ways you can help them to keep out of
trouble.
Apart from acting as a good role model, you can:
• explain the bad effects of heavy drinking such as
vomiting and hangovers
• teach your teenager sensible drinking tactics such as
alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and
not drinking on an empty stomach
What drugs are teenagers
most likely to use?
• plan transport for parties where teenagers are
likely to be drinking so that they won’t be put in the
position of drink-driving
Teenagers are likely to try the same drugs that
are popular with adults. These are the legal drugs
– alcohol, cigarettes and medicine such as pain killers.
The most common illegal drug used by teenagers
is cannabis.
• encourage your teenager to talk to their friends
about drinking and how they can look out
for each other.
The facts on common drugs
Taking any legal or illegal drug is risky. In Australia,
alcohol and cigarettes lead to more drug-related
deaths and time spent in hospital than any illegal drugs.
The most common illegal drug
used by teenagers is cannabis.
What we should know
about common drugs:
• alcohol makes the drinker less alert by slowing down
the brain. Over time, excessive alcohol drinking
damages the brain permanently. Alcohol affects
the ability to respond to situations. It also affects
judgment. When drinking, teenagers are more likely
to do things they might regret later such as making
poor decisions about having sex
• cigarettes are linked to lung cancer and other
diseases. All smokers are harming their health,
even if they do not inhale deeply
• medications can be misused. This applies to
medicine bought with a doctor’s prescription, which
can be addictive, and medicine you can buy
without a prescription. For example, long-term use of
aspirin can cause kidney problems. Parents should
be aware of the possible side-effects of medication,
follow instructions on the label and know the correct
doses their children should be taking
• cannabis can worsen short-term memory,
concentration and ability to think clearly. It can
affect judgment and reaction times for up to
10 hours, so driving a car under its influence is
dangerous. Regular cannabis users may lose energy
and have little interest in normal activities.
Mixing any drug with other drugs is dangerous.
When mixed, most drugs have a stronger effect.
Mixing alcohol with other drugs is especially risky and
can make the user less able to do even simple tasks.
How you can help
Once you’ve learned the facts on drugs, you’ll be
ready to take the next steps in helping your teenager.
Some strategies you might find useful are:
• talking to your teenager and listening to them
Talking and listening build trust. The more you know
about your teenager’s life, the easier it is to pick up a
problem before it becomes too big.
• making sure your teenager knows that you love
them and are on their side
Your teenage kids will be more willing to share their
problems if they can trust you.
• setting a good example
Use alcohol and other drugs sensibly and safely.
Never take drugs and drive.
• working out some rules together
Talk about what behaviour is okay and what is not.
Be consistent and make sure your teenager knows
what will happen if they break the rules.
• getting to know your teenager’s friends and their parents
Parents can help each other. Get together with the
parents of your children’s friends to talk about drug
worries and agree to handle some problems in the
same way.
• thinking about problems before they happen
Think about what you would say to your teenager
if they told you they had too much to drink or
had tried cannabis. Thinking about these things in
advance will help you to handle issues if they arise.
Drugs and driving
The statistics are grim. Most teenage drug deaths are
related to using alcohol and driving. Drunk drivers also
put their passengers and other road users in danger.
It’s illegal to drive over the legal alcohol limit and it is
especially dangerous for teenagers to drive after taking
drugs. Drugs slow down decision-making and the ability
to respond. Drugs can also make a driver feel that they
are driving well when they’re not.
In NSW the legal alcohol limit is .05 for fully licensed drivers.
A teenager with an L or P-plate cannot legally drive
if they have been drinking – the blood alcohol limit is 0.0.
The facts on drugs
Expert help
While family and friends may have good advice,
you may feel the need for expert help. If so, contact:
• your local area health service or your doctor
• the Alcohol and Drug Information Service,
a 24-hour, 7 days a week telephone information
and counselling service on (02) 9361 8000.
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