Posted May 15, 2012 by jimhigley
The Chicago Tribune TribLocal asked me to put some thoughts together pertaining to teenage drug and alcohol use. It’s a tough subject to write about – I desperately want to get it “right.” But I don’t know all the right answers. So I’m going to go with what’s in my heart…
Teenage drug and alcohol use. Just writing those words brings me a sense of unrest. Maybe it’s because the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.
I’ve raised one child to legal age. I have one who is within months of being 21. And I still have one in the thick of the pressures of high school. I know all too well – from past experience with others in my family – how real alcohol use and abuse is. I’ve worked with and interviewed some of our country’s leading authorities on the subject.
And yet I still feel grossly limited in my knowledge. Perhaps that’s because I’ve come to understand there isn’t a silver bullet to all of this. And because this issue is wrapped around the lives of teens and their families, I find it excruciatingly important.
While I’d never profess to know everything, a few of the things I’ve learned along the journey of parenting include:
Is this the perfect list? Not a chance. But it’s what’s at the top of my head when the issue knocks on my door.
And what are a few specific things you need to do? Well, according to my friend and one of the country’s leading authorities on teen alcohol and drug use, Jeff Wolfsberg, here are four specific suggestions:
So what things would you add to the list?