Teen Substance Use
A message from our Student Assistance Specialist
Summer break presents opportunities for students and families to relax, connect and prepare for a new year. While this can be an exciting time of freedom and fun, it can also present safety challenges for young people. The hard work of the school year is at an end, but this can leave teens bored and restless. In addition, students may not have the structure and supervision that comes with school days, club meetings and practices. These factors contribute to an increase in teen substance use during summer months when opportunities are plenty and accountability is low. Help your teen stay safe this summer and throughout the year with the following strategies:
- Keep them busy – Engaging in healthy activities is an important protective factor not only for preventing substance use but also for improving mental health outcomes.
- Set and enforce expectations – Be clear about what is and is not acceptable in your family and be consistent with your responses to both healthy and unhealthy decisions.
- Encourage positive connections – Spending time with friends is an important part of healthy teen life, but associating with using peers is a powerful risk factor for use. Encourage time spent with friends who share healthy hobbies and values.
- Respond quickly to signs of substance use – Finding paraphernalia, sudden changes in mood (such as depressed mood/irritability/anxiety) and sudden changes in behavior (fighting, manipulation, lying, stealing) are common signs of substance use. Responding quickly to these signs improve long-term outcomes for young people.
- Find education and support resources on the Student Assistance Services website at www.lcps.org/studentassistanceservices
For more information or to seek support for your child during the summer, reach out to our Student Assistance Specialist, Fiona Brown, at Fiona.Brown@lcps.org or contact Jen Evans, Student Assistance Program Supervisor, at Jen.Evans@lcps.org.