Hi all well this is the last piece of advice in the Illegal drugs and teens series...Unless some other new drug is bought onto the scene I think I have covered all of them fairly well... I just wanted to write a few things to tell you of my reasoning behind this...

I was a wild teen...I tried alot of things that I won't go into here...I have a great fear that my children will walk the same path I did and this is something I do not want for them...I know I can not live their lives and that they can not learn from my mistakes but I want to make sooooo Sure that if they do try drugs they are really well informed...I have also informed my children about the issues of if they do use these drugs what they can do to try to protect themselves...

I have told my kids about alot of things that were issues for me when I was a teen hoping that they would choose a different direction to me...(Don't get me wrong I have not told them about my experiences in full as the fact I was a teenage mum was kind of used against me when the birds and the bees talk happened)...Some they have listened to and others like my eldest being sexually active at 15 they didn't listen to but with that too I made sure he knew how to protect himself and of all the dangers involved with all the std/sti out there....

You see my mum didn't know alot about drugs...So they were never really talked about and now I wonder if maybe I knew the dangers If i wouldn't have been so experiemental...(that is probably the best word) 

To end off the series I have found these 10 tips written by Julia morris  who is a counsellor so I thought I would cut and paste them here for you to read this is her advice for dealing with drugs and teens...

Parents! Concerned about Drugs and your Teenager? Here are ten tips you could find useful.

1. Be open to discussion with your teen about the issues involved in drug use. Make time to talk with your teen and encourage a positive and supportive atmosphere.

2. Be prepared and informed. Parents often exaggerate the dangers of drugs due to their own fear and concern. Present your teen with honest and factual information.

3. Don’t be judgmental when talking about drugs with your teen. If your teen feels defensive, he or she will not want to discuss these important issues with you.

4. Don’t panic if you discover that your teen is using or experimenting with drugs. The calmer and more prepared you are, the more productive your communication will be with each other.

5. You can’t stop your teenagers from using drugs, but you can influence them to make safe and sensible decisions for themselves.

6. Listen to their point-of-view and let them know your concerns. Don’t expect your teen to make decisions on the spot about what position they will take regarding drugs.

7. Accept that your teen will make mistakes. Teens may experiment with drugs and other risk-taking behaviour as a normal part of adolescent development. Mistakes can be an opportunity for learning if they are handled the right way.

8. Make a Safety Plan with your teen. Ask them questions about how they can keep themselves safe and make appropriate decisions in relation to drug use.

9. Set clear boundaries and consequences in relation to drugs and your teen. Think about the message you want your teen to receive about these issues and let that guide you.

10. Consult your teen about drug issues and the boundaries you want in place. You will find they are more likely to stick to any agreement you make and will talk to you when problems arise if they are consulted about the issues that affect them.

These tips were written and compiled by Julia Morrison, Counsellor, Centrecare CY Counselling and Mediation. Photocopying, reproduction and circulation of these ten tips is permitted on the condition that the Centrecare name is acknowledged at all times.

I hope you all understand now my need to want to help other parents to help their children along the right path also...To those of you who have read the series and voted and commented thank you and for those of you who haven't maybe one day you might...Good luck with raisng your teens....I have said it before but here it is again...

Raising a teenager is like trying to nail jelly to a tree...

Have a great day
Cheers
Angie