I. Taking drugs or alcohol:
1. Youngsters are at the vulnerable age, where they lack the planning about their future.
2. If they fall into bad company or are facing parental neglect, they get hooked on to alcohol or drugs.
3. Some common causes for addiction among youngsters are insufficient parental supervision and monitoring or excessive pressure and expectations from them. Lack of communication between an adolescent and parents.
4. Poorly defined rules for the family. Continuous family conflicts.
5. Favourable parental attitudes towards alcohol and drug uses. Many a times, at home children are exposed to such habits.
6. Inability to cope up with present and hence switching to the addictions. Risk taking behaviour which is common among youngsters.
II. Methods/measures to avoid drug abuse:
1. There should be complete acceptance for the child, because the adolescent phase is the most crucial phase when the children should be treated with love, care and respect.
2. Many physical, hormonal and psychological transformations are taking place in this phase. Therefore child suffers from stressful situation.
3. Wrong company and bad influence of peer group can trap the child in bad addictive habits. Thus, family should be supportive and communicative to help such children.
4. The sexual thoughts should be sublimed by channelizing energy into healthy pursuits like sports, reading, music, yoga and other extracurricular activities.
5. Ill-effects of drugs or alcohol should be told to youngsters.
6. Education and counselling can control the children from getting hooked on to the addictions.
