A. Don't give your child more information than necessary. Also explain that more is known about the harmful effects of marijuana and other drugs now. This year is both an exciting and challenging time for children. They're little fish in a big pond and desperately want to fit in. Because your children may now see older students using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and may think they are cool and self-assured, your children may be tempted to try drugs, too.
Drug use goes up dramatically in the first year of middle school or junior high.
No matter where you live, your children will be exposed to all kinds of drugs from now on, so you need to be familiar with all the information about drugs that they may be receiving. The names of drugs and methods of manufacture and ingestion change constantly, so look over the pictures of drugs, paraphernalia, and slang terms on the drug chart on pages 34-39. At this time when peer approval means everything, your children may make you feel unwelcome. But while your children are pulling away from you to establish their own identities or may seem to be embarrassed by you, they need you to be involved in their lives more than ever before. If it seems that your child is attracted to those with bad habits, reiterate why drug use is unacceptable.