Caught Teen Using Drugs?

Question

Found out that my soon to be 16 yr old daughter is smoking pot (that seems to be the extent of it right now), is friends with other teens who are said to be heavily involved in drug use and possibly sales. Everything happened so fast (new friends, strange activities)
What are some things I can do? What are appropriate punishments etc. Right now, I have taken cell away, comp and ability to go anywhere, have friends over. And have made appt with doctor.

Answer 1

Hi! It sounds like you are taking good precautions. I will warn you, though (as you probably already know) that teenagers are prone to irrational behavior. Sometimes just taking away their privileges is not enough. Sometimes this can escalate into more extreme behavior. Your teen may feel like you are being harsh, and they may act out in response to their punishment. I think taking a positive approach would be more helpful.

Your teen needs a positive role model in his/her life that he/she can relate to and confide in. Someone who has "been there, done that" and can tell him/her about the mistakes he/she is making. Eventually, introducing him/her to some positive activity like painting or exercise might give him/her something to do instead of running off to his/her friends to do drugs. Of course, it doesn't have to be said that your teen is hanging around the wrong "crowd" and needs to make better friends. I DO recommend partaking in some activities with your teen (volunteerism perhaps) to let him/her know that they are not the "only" one in the world and maybe showing them the impact other people their age are having on the world would convince them that they are wasting their time.

The problem with your teen is not so much the fact that they are ruining their lungs or having a negative impact on themselves and others. In my opinion, it more the fact that they are wasting their potential.

Answer 2

Parents really need to wake up with this issue. Never before has the American government been more critical with banning illegal substances. How about that alcohol you're drinking, sure does kill lots of people every year. But when looking at marijuana it has no physical addiction traits and is basically impossible to receive an overdose. Pot isn't that bad, the government puts out so much hypocritical propoganda it is disgusting. You see a pot ad about how bad it is for you and then there is a beer ad but there are no extreme warnings. No warning of addiction or warning of overdose. Alcohol is far more damaging in the short run and the long run. Please just don't overreact. Personally i think you've done far too much right now anyways. Also i see you suggesting the "gateway" theory since you're already questioning the possibility of her using other drugs. The gateway theory is stupid and boils down to the person's own choice. I've been smoking pot for 5 years about now and don't regret any of it. My parents caught me three times. Each time the punishments got worse of course which is stupid! If someone wants to do something they're going to do it. Weed isn't that bad, you probably have a biased opinion of it due to all of those commercials and you have probably never tried it yourself. If i were you i would give your daughter a safe place to smoke it and tell her not to do it that often. The only real risk is being caught by the police and if you were to harbor that risk everyone would feel better. I could rant and rave all night as i have written a couple of Marijuana papers and feel very passionate about the hipocracy of this nation.Lastly, don't forget you were young too.

Answer 3

My parents found my brother's stash of pot and pretty much gave him a slap on the wrist. They took away his license for like a week, and gave him a lecture. However, he did have a sincere want at that time to clean himself up, and he has not smoked pot since then(year and a half ago). It really doesn't matter what you do, if the teen doesn't have the internal desire to want to change then she is going to continue the behavior. Teens tend to want to do whatever you tell them not to, so punish her to show her who's in charge and that behaviors have consequences...but don't go overboard, that's just going to make her want to rebel against you. Have the doctor tell her of ill effects of drug use (marijuana is a gateway drug) and perhaps make her submit to random drug testing but remember she's not going to change unless she personally wants you...scare tactics are never a good idea!

Answer 4

Sounds like you came down rather hard. Most kids will experiment with pot and often they don't like the fuzzy feeling it produces.
Depending on your relationship with her, ask her what benefits/effects she got. Then ask her if it is worth those as smoking pot is against the law.
You can't completely control her - however you can ask her never to bring the stuff into the house and that it will make it difficult to trust her if she continues smoking.
Sending her to the doctor isn't going to accomplish much except getting her 'into the system'. I don't recommend it.
What is the doctor going to do?
The thing is to work with your daughter, have her realize that the being 'cool' doesn't involve drug use and maybe reevaluate her friendships or get involved in other activities where drug use wouldn't be helpful.

Answer 5

A 16 year old that is probably just experimenting with marijuana is seeking acceptance. Punishment may not be the route for what you are looking for. Rather an approach of treating your daughter like the adult she thinks she is may be the warranted. Does she drive, does she pay for her own insurance, is she seeking advanced education? These are all things that she must be willing and capable of doing if she is an adult. The resources being spent on extracurricular activities may be much more difficult to come by if she has to work for them. My father once told me that the best way to discipline me was to appeal to my conscience and also the pocketbook.

Ultimately you know and understand your daughter better than anyone else does, talk with her. Show her that you obviously care.

Answer 6

find a group that helps teens on drugs, and take her there, maybe if she sees what happens to them, that she will think about doing it. or have a police offiecer tell her what could happen to her. but talk to her. I use to do drugs. been cleaned for 7 years now. and it feels good to be back in control of my life. good luck. its not going to be easy if shes been doing it a long time and hope that she is only smoking pot. and not doing the other stuff that is out there.

Answer 7

base line, you may no longer generalize all docs or drug companies. sure, some docs will prescribe drugs that they are heavily marketed to, yet i do no longer think of that's the norm. My fiancee is a doctor (OB/GYN) and he or she prescribes drugs, start administration, etc. based on the particular desires of her sufferers. i recognize a honest form of docs, and that all of them stick to prudent regulations while prescribing. of direction, no longer all docs act that way and are actually the drug companies lackeys. i've got faith that's real of any industry, in spite of the indisputable fact that. enable's no longer forget that for the time of united statesa., well being-care is a commodity. could desire to the FDA be doing a greater effective interest? certainly! Is it their "fault", no longer inevitably. jointly as i'm very saddened by way of our well being-care device, the US nonetheless grants the perfect determination of docs and medicines interior the international. like all different enterprise, i've got faith that the buyer, e.g. affected person, needs to tell themselves and study any Rx's that a doctor needs to furnish them. Too many human beings tacitly settle for what their generic practitioner's say as actuality instead of checking out themselves. So, there is blame to bypass around the table. docs may be the wrongdoer in specific circumstances, drug companies could be, yet all people is likewise complacent. that's yet yet one greater reason we choose sweeping reforms interior the whole well being-care device interior the US.

Answer 8

I think is extreme to have taken away her stuff. She's in the age she might think you're the bad one, and you are reinforcing the idea. It is NORMAL for kids to be curious, but the difference is when they take the curiosity to a next level and start trying

The doctor is good idea, you both need help in order to resolve the problem. I'd say that those friends are responsible of it, surely looked cool and who doesn't like to be surrounded by cool people at 16?

Don't worry, this doesn't mean your daughter is or will be an addict, but you need to act soon. Good Luck

Answer 9

i caught my 17 year old son a year ago i tried all the normal things that most parents do like taking things away no friends grounding but i came to realize this wasnt working you cant watch them 24 hours a day so i desided to take him to wear drug users end up i took him to a drug rehap center they talked to him the 1s seaking help then i took him to our state prison and to a family that lost a child to drug use and finally our town cementaries after explaing that drug use will eventually end in 1 of these terrible ways he understood that other people that are battling these demonds where right that drugs are more addicting and harmful then he was willing to find out my thoughts and prayers are with you

Answer 10

one thing that i think is most important is to be stern but dont go to far.. what is the purpose of a doctors visit? pot is a really safe drug, i know that sounds funny but its true. however there can be other issues. but that is the age when kids do that. i think its most important to try and establish a "friendship" level where your kid wont be afraid to tell you something wich is why i suggest not going overboard because that will also drive them away from you. be stern but a dr visit sounds VERY intrusive on a young girls body for just doing what teens do, experimenting. if you make them feel like a criminal they will act like one. beleive me i know! i think what you said are appropriate however i would try and spend time with her and let her know that you care. kids dont respond well when you try to completly controll their lives, i think if you can "coax" the idea into her head that its not cool to do and not a good idea, she wont. however scaring it into her or punishing it into her brain usualy doesnt work, it just makes them come up with more clever ways of getting away with things. you cant get your kid to talk to you about their friends and what they are really up to if they feel like they are talking to a cop, or someone who will rat their friends out. the trust and friendship thing is key, but maintaining your parental stature is key! stern but not deathly stern! the grounding you described sounds good. couple that with more involvement with you. good luck.