The National Institutes of Health published a guide called Preventing Drug Use in Children and Adolescents, which acknowledges that prevention measures must start early. School programs, family discussions and community-based drug prevention programs are popular and effective methods of drug prevention.
Education
Educating the young on the dangers of drug use, addiction and physical and mental damage caused by drug abuse is still one of the best methods of drug prevention. For those who have tried or take drugs, education is shown to restrict increased use of drugs and is often effective in preventing addiction.
Early Intervention
Teaching parents, teachers and other child care providers to spot the signs of drug abuse is one of the techniques suggested by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to identify and address experimentation and mild to moderate drug use by teens. Behaviors such as lack of self-control and aggressive or inconsiderate behaviors are common among teens experimenting with drugs.
Parental Involvment
NIDA says parental involvement and family bonding are essential to preventing substance abuse among teens and young adults. Parents should supervise and monitor their children and know who children are spending time with. Setting limits such as curfews, maintaining family rules and discipline and making time to interact with children and teens, engaging in sports, after-school activities and old-fashioned conversation are also effective preventive measures to curtail or avoid drug abuse.
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