Substance Abuse Is One Of The Major Concerns Of Our Days

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Some people say, and not without reason, that substance abuse is the plague of our days. Billions of people are the slaves of various substances, although most of them are very much aware of the fact that this will change their lives, sadly enough, only in the bad way. But the problem of substance abuse seems to be even more painful when the victims are very young.

The percentage of teens that fall in this trap is getting bigger and bigger each year; as a parent, you can't be sure anymore that your son won't be tempted to try (to say at least) one illegal substance. Remember that this is a very dangerous age: the need to be accepted by the group of (so-called) friends, the need to stand out, and the lack of real life experience could easily drive your son to such habits. Substance abuse is no longer a problem we should neglect or ignore.

How can you recognize the symptoms? The moment your son or daughter starts to change his (or her) habits, from eating and sleeping habits to the way he behaves, you should start to ask yourself some questions. Physical symptoms such as red eyes, coughing, even anxiety, or behavioral problems are also signs that you shouldn't ignore. Sadly enough, substance abuse symptoms are oftentimes neglected by the teen's parents; they simply blame it on the age.

Statistically speaking, teenagers that come from a family with a previous history of drug or alcohol abuse are more likely to pick up the same habits. But this doesn't mean that the others are spared; the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University conducted a survey that shows exactly how big is the problem: substance abuse is viewed by teens and their parents as one of the major factors that could damage their lives.