Preventive Measures to Keep Students Away From Addiction

When a student starts to enter a new school or even a college, there are a lot of exciting things that happen in their life. They come across a new campus, surrounding culture, friends, and roommates. Despite all the good things that they'll receive in a new environment, students should also be aware of the drug and alcohol culture that prevails on a college campus. 

Nowadays, the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other substances is not taboo anymore. What has become normal is the casual attitude of students towards the intake of these substances that makes them addicted.

Here are a few ways by which an institution or even the parents can prevent young ones from getting addicted.

What Parents Can Do?

1. Talk Honestly And Directly

If you find out that your child is slowly becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol in his or her school or college, you should sit down with him or her and have a direct and honest talk about the issue. Prevention of temptations, before he goes to college, is the best way to make a good career and a better future. 

No doubt it will be a bit uncomfortable to have an open discussion in the family, doing so young ones will feel loved and cared for. It can make them realize that they are on the wrong path and they need to quit their habits.

2. Make Sure Your Children Are Aware Of The Lifelong Consequences Of Addiction

Being addicted to the drug can not only destroy one's career but comes with numerous health issues as well. Your child needs to know the adverse health and career effects of addiction. 

When you're watching a movie, series, or even a tv show, you'll come surely come across a young person who las ruined his career just because of getting addicted to drugs and alcohol. Make sure your child is aware of these things, you must scare them off the dark side effects of addiction, but in a humble and caring way.

3. Spend Time With Your Children

No matter how busy your day-to-day life is, make it a priority to have one-on-one time with your loved ones. Don't just have a boring talk or give psychology lessons to them, as your child should enjoy and have fun with you. Your “me-time” will help you to undertake them better and know about their personal life as well. 

You can help them to guide them in their school or college activities, decisions, and the problems they are facing. If you have a strong bond with them, your child will surely share the problems of addiction.

4. Prioritize Other Things

When your young one is at home, ensure that he or she is involved in household activities of studies. You can ask for his help to fix something or to work out something. In this, you'll work together and develop a team spirit that keeps one's mind healthy. Prioritize other things and it will surely keep your young ones involved in productive activities.

Here's What An Institution Can Do?

1. A Reality Check Of The Campus About Drugs And Alcohol

Most students get their first exposure to drugs and alcohol use, just after stepping into college. This is directly linked to the freedom that a student gets on campus. The college authorities should be familiar with the warnings and the situations that are going around the college. 

The authorities should take it as a serious issue to prevent the culture of drugs and alcohol on campus. They should know, where the students are getting the substances and prevent them to get inside the campus.

2. Campus Regulation And Policies

There must be some campus regulations and policies as it is an educational institution. Likely, students will surely find some illegal substances near the campus, so the policies and protocols for drug testing should be essential to counter such issues. The campus shall have some strict policies like:

• No alcohol is allowed within the campus.
• Marijuana-free campus.
• Use of smoking or tobacco is prohibited.
• Testing for college athletes for performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.

3. Drugs And Alcohol Culture

Drugs and alcohol have become a major challenge for institutions, and they're not even able to handle it on a major scale to maintain their reputation. However, colleges should not tolerate these issues and should have effective measures to deal with such issues internally. 

They can conduct institutional programs to support students and recover from drug and alcohol addiction. One such idea is to have substance-free residential halls and hostels, for students who want to avoid drugs and alcohol.

Prevention of drugs and alcohol consumption in a student seems to be difficult but not impossible. You just need to stay committed to making the life of your young ones better.