Make sure your kids know exactly where you stand on the issue. Have a family policy on substance abuse. Be supportive. Encourage honest dialog. Ask questions. Listen carefully.

Early intervention matters. If you notice behaviors that concern you, don’t wait – act. Lake County has a very solid network of behavioral health providers. Check with your insurance to see what clinics or agencies you have best access to. If you’re without insurance and/or you’re having financial difficulties, the Lake County ADAMHS network of service providers offers help – regardless of your ability to pay. Go to www.HelpThatWorks.us and click “I’m looking for help”. You can also call 2-1-1, Lake County’s free, confidential, 24/7 information and referral service. 

Additionally, you can contact the Lake County Juvenile Court at 440-350-3000 and ask to speak to someone in the Intake department. The Intake staff will meet with parent(s) or the legal custodian of a child who is presenting a substance abuse problem.  At an Intake conference, court staff will meet with the child to assess and determine the reported drug/alcohol issues and will make recommendations as to the type of interventions available in the community for parent(s) or custodians.  The court staff will provide a list of service providers and contact information for the parent(s) or custodian of the child to contact for a drug/alcohol assessment and related services.  The Intake staff is available to meet with parent(s)/custodians and the juvenile even if there are no formal charges at this time.

Collaborate. If you’re worried, talk with your daughter’s teachers, your son’s soccer coach, the parent of one of your kid’s pals. Ask them if they’ve noticed changes. Enlist their help and support.

Research shows that key risk periods for drug abuse are during major transitions in children’s lives. For instance, when kids advance from elementary school to middle school they typically find themselves facing a whole new array of social and academic pressures – plus a raft of hormonal and physical changes that accompany early adolescence. It can be a risky time period, and parents need to be especially vigilant. Another big transition takes place a few years later when these adolescents enter high school. The peer pressures ramp up. So does the potential for exposure to drugs, drug users, and social activities that involve drugs. Other transitions that can spawn increased risk include things like a significant loss (a parent or close friend dies), a move to a new area where old friends are left behind, or leaving home for college or a job after high school.

A word about parties. Teen parties where there’s no adult supervision can be very dangerous venues. Don’t allow your teenager to host unsupervised parties at your house. Don’t allow your teenager to attend unsupervised parties elsewhere.
What you need to know as a parent or grandparent
Keep your eyes open. Know who your son is with. Know where your daughter is tonight. Lots of factors can impact a young person’s risk of becoming a drug abuser. Negative factors – those which can increase the likelihood of drug issues – include things like association with drug-using peers, low self esteem, and lack of parental supervision.  Positive factors include things like a broad network of adult mentors, self confidence, and parental support. You can make a difference.
A word about your medicine cabinet. Sometimes teens get invited to pill parties. The party-goers are encouraged to bring a handful of pills from their home medicine cabinets – pain killers, anti-depressants, muscle-relaxants, ADHD meds, and whatever else they can grab. Those pills then get passed around at the party, sometimes with unhappy or even tragic results. Know what’s in your medicine cabinet. If you have older, unused meds, get rid of them (click here to learn more about how to do that safely).  Also see:  News Herald article on medicine disposal in Lake County
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has some excellent resources for parents.
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