Safe Driving for Your Adolescent

Learning to drive is a major rite of passage for adolescents – and their moms and dads. It's a time of exciting possibilities and achievements. It's also a time of high risk. Driving is fatal for almost 50,000 Americans every year.

Young people between the ages of 16 and 25 have the highest rate of auto-related deaths, even though individuals in this age group may be bright, skilled, and have great reflexes. A collision is the most likely tragedy to kill or cripple an adolescent.

Distractions are a problem for everyone, including adolescents. Using cell phones for talking, texting, email, or other Internet use is a proven cause of accidents – and must be strictly avoided. Vehicles have many important safety features (e.g., seat belts, shoulder straps, headrests, air bags, padded dashes, safety glass, collapsible steering columns, anti-lock brakes, etc.), but even with safety equipment, reckless driving is still a real danger to adolescents.

All new drivers should take a driver's education course. These courses have been proven to reduce accidents, but they are not enough. Adolescents often believe that serious accidents will not happen to them; however, these young people can take steps to change the odds in their favor.

Adolescent-related driving deaths frequently occur in the following situations:

• With recreational driving. For the first 3 to 6 months after getting a license, new drivers should try to get experience driving to school and work, not for fun.
• When not buckled-up. Use safety gear.
• When drowsy. Anyone who is sleepy should stop driving until fully alert. Sleepiness may cause even more accidents than alcohol.
• When driving with friends. Adolescents are safer driving by themselves or with family. They should drive as much as possible with an experienced driver who can help develop good driving habits. As tempting as it may be, new drivers should wait until they have a consistent, safe driving record before taking friends as passengers. Friends, to the new driver, are a big distraction and liability – and this liability often extends to the parent.
• When distracted. Using cell phones for any reason, eating, drinking, or putting on makeup while driving is dangerous for all drivers.
• After the use of marijuana or any other illegal drug or any prescription drug that is sedating. Drugs can be just as dangerous as alcohol.
• After drinking alcohol. Drinking slows reflexes and impairs judgment. These effects happen to anyone who drinks. So, NEVER drink and drive. ALWAYS find someone to drive who has not been drinking -- even if this means making an uncomfortable phone call.
• After dark. Automatic reflexes and driving skills are just developing during the first months of driving. Darkness is an extra variable to cope with.

Moms and dads should discuss "driving rules" with their adolescents and help their new drivers stick to them. An excellent method to stimulate discussions and set expectations is to draft a "driving contract." This contract should list the rules and consequences of breaking the “driving rules.” Be sure to state in the contract that the mother or father has the final say. Consider all of the issues above when drafting the contract.

Moms and dads should encourage their adolescents to call “without consequence” rather than get in a car with a driver who has been drinking. If parents discover that their son or daughter has been driving and drinking, they should ask the State to suspend that adolescent’s license until age 18. In many states, the mother or father must sign for an adolescent under 18 to get a driver's license. At any time before the 18th birthday, the parent can refuse responsibility, and the State will take the license.

These suggestions are not intended to be a punishment for your teenager, but to prevent accidents, life-long disability and death. Your child is worth far more than the inconvenience and hassle and a driving contract. Your teenage can set an example for his or her peers on how to drive responsibly. And he or she might even save a life!

 

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Sex Education and Your Adolescent

Sex education basics may be covered in health class, but adolescents might not hear or understand everything they need to know to make tough choices about sex. That's where parents come in. Awkward as it may be, sex education is your responsibility. By reinforcing and supplementing what your adolescent learns in school, you can set the stage for a lifetime of healthy sexuality.

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Raising Defiant Teens: The Parent's Grief Cycle

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Adolescent Athletes & Performance-Enhancing Drugs/Supplements

If you're the mother or father of an adolescent athlete, your life is probably as busy as your son's or daughter’s. It's important, however, to make time to talk to your adolescent about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs and supplements. By setting rules and consequences and explaining the possible health effects of drug use, you can help your adolescent steer clear of performance-enhancing drugs and supplements.

For adolescents, the most common performance-enhancing drugs and supplements include the following:

• Steroid precursors, such as androstenedione ("andro") and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), are substances that the body converts into anabolic steroids. They're used to increase muscle mass. Most steroid precursors are illegal without a prescription. DHEA, however, is still available in over-the-counter preparations. Side effects of steroid precursors are similar to those for steroids.
• Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in the body that's also sold as an over-the-counter supplement. It's primarily used to enhance recovery after a workout and increase muscle mass and strength. Creatine is popular with athletes who participate in football, gymnastics, hockey and wrestling. Side effects include weight gain, nausea, muscle cramps and kidney damage. 
• Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of the hormone testosterone, used to build muscle and increase strength. They're popular with football players and weightlifters. Use of anabolic steroids can cause heart and liver damage, can halt bone growth, and can result in a permanently short stature.

Some adolescents experiment with performance-enhancing drugs as a way to cope with insecurities, difficulties fitting in with a peer group, or a desire for independence. Others may be influenced by societal pressure to win at all costs.

Common risk factors for adolescent use of performance-enhancing drugs and supplements include:

• Pressure from moms and dads or peers regarding weight or muscles
• Being male (males are more likely to use performance-enhancing drugs and supplements than are females)
• Negative body image or a tendency to compare one's appearance with others
• Desire to gain muscle mass or strength

You can take various steps to prevent your adolescent from using performance-enhancing drugs and supplements or supplements. For example:

1. Monitor your adolescent's purchases. Check the ingredients of any over-the-counter products your adolescent uses. Watch for performance-enhancing drug paraphernalia, (e.g., vials, re-sealable plastic bags, hypodermic needles, etc.).
2. Get involved. Attend games and practices. Encourage your adolescent's coaches, school and sports organizations to discourage the use of performance-enhancing drugs and supplements. Reassure your adolescent of your love and support, regardless of his or her competitive performance.
3. Discuss ethics and proper training. Remind your adolescent that using a performance-enhancing drug is similar to cheating and, more importantly, could lead to serious health problems. Explain that a healthy diet and rigorous training are the true keys to athletic performance.
4. Be clear about your expectations. Tell your adolescent that you expect him or her to avoid performance-enhancing drugs and supplements. Set rules and explain the consequences of breaking them (e.g., if your adolescent uses performance-enhancing drugs and supplements, he or she has to quit the team).

Warning signs of performance-enhancing drug use:

• Needle marks in the buttocks or thighs
• Increased acne and facial bloating
• Enlarged breasts in males or smaller breasts in females
• Changes in body build (e.g., muscle growth, rapid weight gain, development of the upper body)
• Behavioral, emotional or psychological changes (e.g., increased aggressiveness)

If you suspect that your adolescent is using performance-enhancing drugs or supplements, talk to him or her. Encourage your adolescent to be honest with you. If your adolescent admits to using performance-enhancing drugs or supplements, encourage him or her to stop immediately and offer a reminder of the health risks. Make an appointment for your adolescent to see his or her doctor for a medical evaluation and counseling. Consider informing your adolescent's coach, so he or she is aware of the problem. In addition, be sure to tell your adolescent that you're disappointed and enforce the consequences that you've established (e.g., quitting the team). Most importantly, emphasize the healthy alternatives to achieving his or her goals.

 

==> My Out-of-Control Teen: Help for Parents

Preventing Alcohol Abuse in Your Teenager

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to alcohol use. The physical changes of puberty might make your adolescent feel self-conscious and more likely to take risks to fit in or please others. Also, your adolescent might have trouble understanding that his actions can have adverse consequences. Common risk factors for underage drinking include:

• History of behavior problems or mental health conditions
• Family problems (e.g., marital conflict, parental alcohol abuse, etc.)
• Increased stress at home or school
• Transitions (e.g., the move from middle school to high school, getting a driver's license, etc.)

Whatever causes an adolescent to drink, the consequences may be the same. For example, underage drinking can lead to:

• Stunted development: Research shows that alcohol use may permanently distort an adolescent's emotional and intellectual development.
• Sexual activity: Adolescents that drink tend to become sexually active earlier and have sex more often than do adolescents who don't drink. Adolescents that drink are also more likely to have unprotected sex than are adolescents who don't drink.
• School problems: Adolescents that drink tend to have more academic and conduct problems than do adolescents who don't drink. Also, drinking can lead to temporary or permanent suspension from sports and other extracurricular activities.
• Being a victim of violent crime: Alcohol-related crimes can include rape, assault and robbery.
• Alcohol-related fatalities: Alcohol-related accidents are a leading cause of adolescent deaths. Drowning, suicides and murders also have been linked with alcohol use.
• Alcoholism: Individuals who begin drinking as adolescents are more likely to develop alcohol dependence than are those who wait until they're grown-ups to drink.

To increase your odds of having a meaningful discussion about alcohol abuse, choose a time when you and your adolescent are relaxed. Don't worry about covering everything at once. If you talk often, you might have a greater impact on your adolescent than if you have only a single discussion.  When you talk about underage drinking, you might include the following:

1. Ask your adolescent's views. Find out what your adolescent knows and thinks about alcohol.

2. Be prepared to discuss your own drinking. Your adolescent might ask if you drank alcohol when you were underage. If you chose not to drink, explain why. If you chose to drink, you might share an example of a negative consequence of your drinking. If you drink today, be prepared to talk about why social drinking is OK for you and not for your adolescent.

3. Debunk myths. Adolescents often think that drinking makes them popular or happy. Explain that alcohol can make you feel "high" but it's a depressant that also can cause sadness and anger.

4. Develop a strong relationship with your adolescent. Your support will help your adolescent build the self-esteem she needs to stand up to peer pressure and live up to your expectations.

5. Discuss reasons not to drink alcohol. Avoid scare tactics. Instead, explain the risks and appeal to your adolescent's self-respect. If you have a family history of alcoholism or drinking problems, be honest with your adolescent. Strongly discourage your adolescent from trying alcohol — even as an grown-up — since there's a considerable chance that your adolescent could develop an alcohol problem, too.

6. Encourage healthy friendships. If your adolescent's friends drink alcohol, he is more likely to drink, too. Get to know your adolescent's friends and their moms and dads.

7. Establish rules and consequences. Rules might include no underage drinking, leaving parties where alcohol is served, and not riding in a car with a driver who's been drinking. Agree on the consequences of breaking the rules ahead of time, and enforce them consistently.

8. Watch for signs of alcohol drinking and issue immediate consequences. If you suspect that your adolescent has been drinking (e.g., you've noticed mood changes or behavior problems, your adolescent has red or glazed eyes or unusual health complaints), then talk to her. Enforce the consequences you've established so that your adolescent understands that using alcohol will always result in a loss of privileges.

9. Know your adolescent's activities. Pay attention to your adolescent's plans and whereabouts. Encourage participation in supervised after-school and weekend activities.

10. Plan ways to handle peer pressure. Brainstorm with your adolescent about how to respond to offers of alcohol. It might be as simple as saying, "No thanks" or "Do you have any Mountain Dew?"

11. Set an example. If you drink, do so only in moderation and explain to your adolescent why it's OK for grown-ups to drink responsibly. Describe the rules you follow (e.g., not drinking and driving). Don't serve alcohol to anyone who's underage.

12. Share facts. Explain that alcohol is a powerful drug that slows the body and mind, and that anyone can develop an alcohol problem — even an adolescent without risk factors for alcohol abuse.

If you think your adolescent might have a drinking problem, contact the doctor or a counselor who specializes in alcohol problems. Adolescents that have alcohol problems aren't likely to realize it or seek help on their own.

 

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