Understanding the risks

Each week a million or more young adults take ecstasy. Each week millions of young adults smoke cannabis. Each weekend a million or more under-age drinkers will be sitting in bus shelters or parks drinking spirits, strong lagers and alcopops. Fact.

Are these high or low risk activities?

Extreme activities are risky, whether bungee jumping, skate-boarding or taking drugs. They feel exciting. That’s why young people do them. But they can be dangerous, especially for anyone who does not understand what they are doing.

Drug use is a risky business, but some people are more vulnerable than others. It can depend on their experience, knowledge, personal situation and even their level of physical and mental fitness.

Risks are part of life, and learning to live with risk is a part of growing up.

How risky are drugs?

Don’t believe everything you read in the ‘papers. Alcohol still poses more risks for more young people than other drugs.

Scientists and researchers don’t always agree about the dangers of each drug. What you can do is to understand the general risks associated with each drug. See What are these drugs? Basic info for a brief description. You will find the full facts on individual drugs listed in What are these Drugs? The detail.

Children brought up to be enquiring, and to debate issues openly, will be better informed in their choices regarding drug use. It’s never too late to encourage better communication with your children. See Getting on Their Wavelength.

Children start their drug use at a very early age, so make sure you are informed. See How Many of them Really Take Drugs?

Do you use alcohol and tobacco?

Which is the greater risk to your family, your use of alcohol or your child’s use of cannabis?

Most people manage their use, and some don’t. Those who don’t are easy to spot when they are intoxicated or hung-over.

Those who manage their drug use haven’t done it without some degree of trial and error. You may have started drinking when you were under age. Lots of people did and do. You were using a substance illegally; it was just part of growing up, wasn’t it?

Some young people will experiment. Most of them will learn how to manage the risks, a minority won’t.

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What to do next:

Learn more about the risks – Understanding the risks
Find out how to improve communications with your children – Getting on their wavelength
Find out more about the drugs themselves – What are these drugs? Basic info
Read more about the effects of drugs – What are these drugs? The detail
Read more about what the law says – Drugs and the Law
Find out how you can get help – Who else can help?