Signs that your teenager is taking drugs

Despite your discussions with your teenager, and your belief that at heart they are a good, sensible kid, they may at some point still experiment with drugs and you need to know what the signs are. The most often given advice is to look for changes in behavior, but given that teenage behavior is erratic at the best of times, this may be difficult to pinpoint. If you have established a good routine with your teenager and regularly chat so you know what they are doing, it will be easier to spot deviations from this pattern.

It is good practice to develop routines with your children; it gives both you, and them, a sense of security. Knowing where your teenager is at all times may be slightly tricky and they may resent it, but if you present it as a way of allowing them freedom, without you hassling them all the time, they are more likely to go along with the idea. Occasionally you will need to check up on them, if possible without them knowing. This is not because you do not trust them, but a way of you spotting early on if they are perhaps drifting towards harm. Most teenagers take drugs the first time, almost by accident, they have rarely planned it; the opportunity arises and they take the risk.

A teenager that is normally bubbly and chatty may become withdrawn and uncommunicative, and the reverse is true. If your teenager shows signs of irritability and agitation, then later seem unnaturally calm, it is a warning sign that they may be taking something to achieve the calm, and the agitation was a sign of drug need. Drugs are expensive, so money that is going missing from your purse, or items from the house may be a sign that they have a drug habit to fund.

If your teenager has an allowance which does not seem to be spent on clothes or video games anymore, what are they spending it on? If they start staying out late at night, seem exhausted in the morning, or cannot be contacted at odd times of the day, you need to start asking where they have been.

Physical signs of drug addiction are red eyes, runny nose, loss of appetite, or sudden extreme hunger at odd times of the day. The drug taking teenager sometimes loses interest in personal hygiene, stops taking part in sports, loses touch with friends and starts going around with different ones, which you rarely meet. Marijuana has a distinctive, sweet smell and you can often smell it on the user. Extreme drug taking may leave needle marks on their arms or legs, though savvy users inject between the toes. Keep the lines of communication open with your teenager and you are more likely to spot drug use. If something bothers you about your teenagers' behavior do not ignore it. It may not be drug abuse, but it may be a sign that they are unhappy and need your help.