http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sec ... M=39655.396/7/2009 11:00:00 AM
Teens more likely to start using drugs in summerCHESTERTON - Summer vacation and unsupervised teens usually go hand in hand in the months following the last day of school. Statistics show that there is a 40 percent increase in first-time youth marijuana use during June and July compared with the rest of the year, according to Pathway Family Center, which offers substance abuse treatment for adolescents.
Where there is more freedom, there is also more temptation. Statistics show that youthful experimentation with drugs, tobacco and alcohol is most likely to occur during an unsupervised time when teens are alone or with their peers, Pathway says.
Structure and continuity are very important in teens' lives over the summer months. As a parent, you must try and create a different kind of routine, Pathway says. Encourage your child to continue his/her after-school activities. Insist on a summertime curfew. Get to know your child's friends and families. Plan summer activities the entire family can enjoy together.
Most importantly, continue to drug test regularly during these essential months; give your child the ability to say "NO" to drugs and alcohol.
(Contradiction)If you feel your teen might be experimenting, contact Pathway Family Center's 24-Hour Parent Help Line at (800) 261-4605, the Northwest Indiana Center at (219) 926-2583 or learn more about the organization at
www.pathwayfamilycenter.org.
