DRUG PREVENTION STARTS EARLY - AND AT HOME

In this contest-crazy world, you would think Canadians would be
jumping for joy at being ranked number one at anything, even
pot-smoking. But when the news broke that we top the list of
cannabis-using countries in the developed world, not everyone giggled
and sparked a spliff in celebration.

Some people -- notably parents -- let out a different kind of laugh.
The nervous kind. The kind that masks deep-seated concerns about the
world in which our kids are growing up.

Fortunately, there's no need to panic yet. As many experts have
pointed out, the cannabis study showed only that 16.8% of Canadians
used pot at least once in the past year. That's a far cry from saying
users smoke up every day or that they use cannabis in excessive ways.

Still, the study does bring to the table some questions that parents
might want to think about sooner rather than later. For instance, if
using cannabis is increasingly acceptable in mainstream society, how
can a parent prevent their child from using marijuana (or tobacco and
alcohol, for that matter)?

The first thing parents need to realize is that preventing problem
drug use in the teen years begins in early childhood, and the
"preventing" part has less to do with drugs themselves than one might
think.

Kids experiment with drugs for a variety of reasons -- boredom,
stress, curiosity -- so parents need to deal with the reasons before
they rear their ugly heads. We need to teach children how to handle
things like boredom and stress when they're young. Or, better yet, we
need to teach them how to become "unbored" and "unstressed" human beings.

This doesn't mean throwing them in a room full of electronic gadgets.
It means helping kids use their brains in interesting and creative
ways so they can problem-solve their way through adolescence with
confidence and a sense of adventure.

Parents have to lead the way here because children pick up the habits
of those who care for them. Kids with parents who are always lifeless,
restless or stressed out will learn how to be bored, unsettled or anxious.

The same goes for substance use habits. Children with parents who lean
on cigarettes for comfort are twice as likely to become smokers
themselves. Those with parents who need alcohol and other drugs to
take the edge off or to have fun are likely to grow up with a similar
appreciation for substances.

One of the keys to prevention is to monitor for mental health issues
early in a child's life, and to not be afraid to address the issues
right away. Mental health problems are often the root causes of drug
dependence and addiction.

According to researchers, one in five Canadian children suffers from
mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. Unfortunately,
38% of parents say they'd be too embarrassed to even admit their child
had an emotional problem, let alone get them help for it.

Another tip is to be clear about the harms associated with early drug
use.

The younger a person begins using substances the greater their chances
of developing problems later on. Kids under 16 are especially
vulnerable to the negative effects of drugs because they're still
developing physically, mentally and emotionally. Even early cigarette
smoking can increase a kid's chances of having problems in adulthood.

Research shows that teenaged smokers are 14 times more likely to drink
alcohol, 20 times more likely to use cannabis and 10 times more likely
to use harder illegal substances, such as cocaine.

Prevention starts at home. It begins with teaching children how to
express their emotions in a natural, healthy and functional way. It's
also about teaching kids to identify when they are repressing their
feelings and to become conscious of why they're doing this.

It's not about shielding kid from every dude who's carrying a bag of
weed.

Indeed it's not about anything that exists outside a child's mind and
spirit.

Nicole Pankratz is publications officer for the Centre for Addictions
Research of BC at the University of Victoria.