Are young people having the #bestsummer?
As children become young adults the environments they learn in and the people they learn from can change as they become more independent and make new friends.
When it comes to drugs and alcohol simply saying ‘don’t do it’ isn’t realistic, as much as we might like it to be. If you’re the parent, carer, brother, sister or cousin or friend of someone who you think is experimenting with drugs or alcohol there are things you can do to help them stay safe without laying down the law:
- Encourage them to talk to you
- Make sure they know they can come home if they’re ever in trouble
- Give them someone to call if they need help or advice
- Give them information about the dangers associated with drugs and alcohol like having unsafe sex, hurting themselves or others, posting on social media sites things they may regret, gaining weight or damaging their health.
- Look out for the signs of substance misuse such as a change in behaviour that is unusual for your child
We want young people to stay safe and enjoy their summer! Young people and parents can find more information on these issues at http://www.bestsummer.org.uk/, and you can join the debate on Twitter #bestsummer.
Let us know what you think about young people and drugs and alcohol by leaving a comment below…
