SAPS Childs Safety Of Parents Drugs Awareness

SAPS Childs Safety Of Parents Drugs Awareness

What Parents Should Know:
Factors influencing experimentation with drugs:

  • A lack of affection and attention from parents

  • The demands of a performance driven society

  • Parent’s believe that their kids would never do drugs and fail to inform or warn them.

  • Parent’s ignorance about drugs

  • Peer pressure

  • Over emphasis of the “harmlessness’ of drugs by the peer group

The effects of drug abuse are not restricted to the drug abuser but spill over to his/her family, friends and society.

Drugs attract paraphernalia such as:

  • The excessive use of mouth sprays, chewing gum and sweets to remove the smell of alcohol

  • Burning of incense to disguise sweetish marijuana odours

  • Continuous use of eye-drops to clear blood-shot eyes

  • Sunglasses worn at inappropriate times

  • Unexplained tablets, powders or small dry seeds or dagga pips in pockets, handbags or plastic bank sachets

  • Cigarette rolling papers or thin, hand-rolled cigarettes

  • Inhalant substances such as glue, thinners, “Spray ‘n Cook”, turpentine, lighter fluids, and acetone

  • Unsmoked cigarettes with the filter broken off

  • Dagga seeds in ashtrays and on carpets

  • Broken bottle necks, dagga pipes or “hubbly bubblies”

  • Hypodermic needles or syringes

  • Single-edged razor blades (for cocaine)

  • Empty cough mixture bottles or diet pill containers (Thinz)

  • Tiny spoons, bent spoons, burnt spoons and tin foil (for heroin preparation)

  • Brown marijuana stains or glue stains on the fingers, clothes, handkerchiefs or bed linen.

Identifiable characteristics of drug dependency Physical indicators

  • Red/blood-shot eyes, visual distortion

  • Markedly dilated or constricted pupils

  • Unexplained, repeated vomiting or abdominal pains

  • Indistinct speech

  • Excessive perspiration

  • Delayed reflex action and lack of co-ordination

  • Disorientation, dizziness, trembling hands

  • Regular nosebleeds

  • General deterioration of health

  • Inexplicable weight loss

  • Injection marks/bruising/scabs/sores on arms, legs or private parts

  • Yellow stains on hand/finger as a result of smking dagga

  • Endless cold symptoms (sore throat, coughing)

Behavioural indicators

  • Long uninterrupted sleeping periods or insomnia

  • Change in appetite

  • Aggressive/hostile behaviour

  • Unaccountable mood swings/personality disturbances

  • Lack of communication with family

  • Lying and dishonesty

  • Guilty behaviour; avoiding eye contact

  • Disappearance for considerable periods, especially at night

  • Sudden change of friends or becoming loners

  • Hallucinations

  • Theft (money, household articles) or abnormal spending

  • Neglect of personal hygiene

  • Untidiness, if previously tidy

  • Impaired word performance, reduced concentration span

  • Lack of motivation (school, hobbies, friends)

  • Visits to clubs known as places where drugs are used/abused/sold

What to do if you know someone who is taking drugs Do not

  • get hysterical

  • threaten the person physically or emotionally

  • promise them rewards if they stop using drugs

  • moralise

  • punish them

  • throw them out of the house

  • manipulate them

  • play an emotional verbal game eg: “How could you do this to us?”

  • believe promises that it won’t happen again

  • lecture on the dangers of drugs

  • tell the whole world

  • blame other people

  • try to find out where they are getting drugs from

Positive action

  • Try to remain calm.

  • Facilitate and communicate supportiveness.

  • Seek professional help from a doctor, a counsellor, a spiritual leader, rehabilitation centres, help lines.

  • Join a support group for parents in the same situation.

  • Talk to someone about how you are feeling (a counsellor/your doctor)

  • Read as much as you can about drugs and drug addiction.

  • Stress LOVE and CONCERN for your child

Tips for parents

  • Make time to listen to the child’s problems and work through it with him/her.

  • Give clear no-use messages about drugs and alcohol.

  • Help your child to deal with peer pressure.

  • Get to know your child’s friends and their parents.

  • Monitor your child’s whereabouts.

  • Supervise teen activities and set an example in the healthy use of leisure time.

  • Maintain an open and honest dialogue with your child.