Avoiding Illegal Substances in School

Illegal substances from alcohol to abusing prescription medication are a dangerous problem in both public schools and private boarding schools throughout the nation. While programs like D.A.R.E. have proven to be ineffective to combatting this problem, what can be done to keep your child out of the hands of substance abuse in school? 

Knowledge is Power

Many teenagers who are working hard and trying to do the right thing know to stay away from cocaine and heroin, but there is a common belief among teens that prescription medication is safe to use because it’s prescribed by a doctor. While this is true to an extent, well-meaning teens have been known to trade prescription medication to each other in order to help with classes, pain, sleep, or to stay awake. The fact that a doctor gave it to your child does not mean it’s safe to give to anyone. Overdosing can happen with any medication and can be just as deadly as any street drug. 

Pressuring Peers to not give into Peer Pressure

It’s hard to monitor who your child is hanging out with at a private boarding school. The solution to this is to help your child be a leader to his friends, not a follower. Private boarding schools often reward leadership skills in most fields, as well as teach in many academic situations, so this can easily be woven into your child’s education. If your child is away for school, try to keep in touch with what he or she is up to and who your child is hanging out with. Try to encourage positive friendships and gently discourage the negative ones when appropriate. 

A Full Schedule Is Not Always a Happy Schedule

The old saying goes “idle hands are the devils workshop”, and to combat this parents often feel the urge to put their children into as many after school and academic programs as possible, with the hope that if your child is busy he or she doesn’t have time to get into trouble. The problem is that the stress of having to excel in so many different areas can easily lead children to use the little free time they have to abuse drugs, whether to enhance performance or to just calm down. Having academic programs is fine but remember that the mind needs time to process, relax and de-stress. An hour of video game time or reading a kid’s favorite book a day can greatly improve his or her experience in any of the private boarding schools across the nation. 

Joe Meyere is an academic writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Wasatch Academy. Follow on Twitter.