At what age do you talk to kids about drugs?

At what age do you talk to kids about drugs?
Yesterday, a concerned mother asked when would be an appropriate time to talk to her kids about drugs. She was very surprised by my answer. Which got me wondering. At what age do YOU believe parents should talk to their kids about drugs?

I believe parents should talk to children about drugs from the age of eight. That is the age at which more and more children are confronted with drugs. The reality is that drugs are entering the school grounds. Drug pushers try to hook kids on hard drugs creating an instant addiction. These kids are then forced to introduce it to their peers. First of all, parents and schools should work together in keeping drugs out of schools. Second, we need to talk to kids about drugs.

Why not avoid the subject of drugs altogether?
Research shows that children who are uneducated about drugs, run a higher risk of becoming addicted. So when you talk about drugs with children, you are actually helping them take a stand.

How do you talk about drugs?
When you talk about drugs, remember that kids are a lot smarter than we often give them credit for. When given the right information they often make the right decision on their own. If you just tell them what they should believe, they are more likely to change their opinion without telling you. Whatever happens, keeping the conversation going so you know what is going on in your child's life is most important. So try not to turn a talk about drugs into a lecture. Simply give the fact and then have a discussion about it.

Some important tips when talking about drugs with kids.
Children eight to twelve often have a very rigid view of right and wrong. So they can easily adopt the view that drugs are bad altogether. Be sure to show them what they are saying no to. When asked a lot of children know that drugs are bad, but do not know what they look like.

Children above twelve develop a more sophisticated view of drugs. You won't be able to get away with the slogan ‘just say no'. Instead, be real about why some people find drugs attractive. When you talk about the lure and downsides of drugs, you create a believable story. Also talk about peer pressure. The important thing is to ask for your child's opinion instead of telling him what to think. Almost everybody will be confronted with drugs at some point in their lives. And when it happens, it isn't likely you will be around to tell your kid what to think. They need to make up their own mind long before they are confronted with drugs.

I don't know anything about drugs.
If you do not know much about drugs you can find information on the internet. Even of you do know about drugs it is important to learn about new developments. For instance, in the seventies weed was considered a soft drug. Today there are types of weed that are just as addictive as cocaine.

For more information on drugs visit the following website:
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/concern.htm