Q: What if you smell
alcohol or marijuana when your child comes
home? What do you do?
Suggestion: Calmly say: “I think I smell
alcohol (marijuana). What have you used tonight? I need the truth, an honest
answer, so we can have a realistic talk.” If you don’t trust the answer
your child gives you, take him or her to a drug treatment specialist and have a
drug test administered (often a simple urine test).
Q: How do I
find a the drug treatment specialist mentioned above?
Suggestion: In our area, go to Morristown Memorial Hospital's
Outpatient Addiction Services, Summit Hospital, Treatment Dynamics in
Morristown. A more complete list with phone numbers can be found under
Local Treatment Facilities.
It is very important
to get to know the drug treatment centers in your area – go find out who runs
them before there is a problem. Get to know the people, and you can use them as
a resource.
Q: Why does anyone want to use drugs?
Suggestion:
Many kids are self-medicating and it may be the only time they feel
happy. The goal : to alter our consciousness not with drugs, but with
learning and spirituality.
Q: What else can I do as
a parent?
Suggestion:
Find reading, workshops, about parenting. We can’t get to know what we
need to know as parents from our own past experiences...the world has changed
too much.
