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Drugs
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Drugs

Talk with your kids about substance use

As a parent or other trusted adult, you are a very important influence in the lives of kids, teens, and young adults.

Start talking at an early age about alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and other drugs with your kids; it is never too early! Continue to talk about drugs in adolescence and young adulthood. Having a warm and supportive relationship helps create opportunities for open conversations. 

To feel comfortable talking with kids about substance use, adults need to reflect on their own feelings, beliefs and concerns about alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and other drugs. 

Self-reflection can help you:

  • respond with gentle guidance,
  • manage your emotions in conversations,
  • be ready to learn new information about drugs,
  • have non-judgmental conversations,
  • talk about why teens use drugs,
  • talk about problems that may come from drug use,
  • talk about ways to decrease problems caused by drugs.

It is natural for youth to be curious, and some may try drugs and alcohol as an experiment. Many youth report they use drugs and alcohol as a way to relax and deal with stress. Others report using these substances to cope with pain or trauma, and to manage mental health issues. However, research has shown that drug and alcohol use at a younger age can lead to mental and physical health and social problems. In the drop-down sections below you can learn more information about alcohol, cannabis, and opioids to guide conversation with your kids.

Need help?

Sometimes we need to talk about why, how much, or how often we, or a family member, use drugs.  Sometimes we just need to ask a question.  If you, or your child, are experiencing difficulty with alcohol use, drug use, or mental health coping, get connected to community resources by calling Connex Ontario.

Drug Free Kids Canada also has a free online chat or call hotline available 24/7 to support you and provide guidance and counselling services. 
 

In 2023, about one-in-six (18%) students in grades 7–12 report using cannabis (OSDUHS, 2023). Cannabis is the third most commonly used substance by Ontario teens and is most commonly accessed through friends(OSDUHS, 2023).  Teens who use cannabis at a younger age, regularly and often, can harm their developing brains and may experience social, mental, and physical health changes. Encourage your teen not to use cannabis or wait as long as possible before beginning cannabis use; it is best to wait until after the age of twenty-five when the brain is fully developed.

How to talk about cannabis:

When you talk with teens about cannabis in open and non-judgmental ways, you help them get ready to make informed decisions about, if, or how, they will use cannabis.

To be ready for these conversations:
• Learn about what parents (and allies of youth) need to know about cannabis.
• Learn how to talk about cannabis with the Cannabis Talk Kit and DrugsFreeKids.ca.

Safer Cannabis Use:
Some teens will choose to use cannabis, especially if they believe it helps them relax and cope.  Help your teen become aware of the Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines (LRCUG) and The Blunt Truth to help them make safer choices if they are using cannabis. Refer to the Get Sensible website for support in having informed and non-judgmental conversations with young people about cannabis.

The Get Sensible harm reduction resources are intended for a post-secondary age audience and for those who heavily use cannabis, as cannabis harm reduction is most effective with older youth and regular/more frequent cannabis users. The resources can support you in having informed and non-judgmental conversations about cannabis. Harm reduction is a public health approach that aims to reduce the negative consequences associated with drug use and provide resources for the health and safety of the person using drugs, such as education on safer drug use patterns.

Alcohol use is common in youth and is by far the most common substance used by Simcoe Muskoka students (OSDHUS, 2023). Alcohol use puts young people at risk for injury, alcohol poisoning and doing something they may regret. Alcohol use may have a negative impact on their developing brain.

Consider your personal alcohol use; the reasons and the ways you use alcohol will influence the way your kids think about alcohol. Be a role model for low to moderate use and follow Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health. 

To help the youth in your life avoid or lessen health and social problems related to alcohol use:

  • Learn about the effects of early alcohol use.
  • Have open and non-judgmental conversations about their goals and how delaying alcohol use can help them meet their goals.
  • Talk to your kids about how alcohol can impair thinking, behaviours and decision-making abilities. Youth should delay alcohol use for as long as possible. 
  • Let your kids know they can always call you for a ride to help avoid driving after using alcohol or becoming a passenger of an impaired driver.

Prescription opioids can be very effective at treating pain. However, non-medical prescription opioid use can be dangerous and even deadly.

Non-medical opioid use:

  • Using opioids that haven’t been prescribed to you by a doctor
  • Using opioids differently than prescribed: taking more of them or using them to feel high rather than pain relief

Many young people mistakenly believe that prescription opioids are safer than unregulated drugs. They think that because opioids are prescribed medicines, using these drugs are not dangerous.

The nonmedical use of prescription opioid pain relievers (such as Percocet, Percodan, Tylenol #3, Demerol, Dilaudid, OxyNeo, codeine) significantly increased from 12.7% in 2021 to 21.8% in 2023 – OSDUHS 2023.

Parent Info Sheet - Prescription Opioids
For more information on other drugs, visit Drug Free Kids Canada.
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