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| |    The Difference between Drug Abuse and Experimentation by Dr. Benjamin Spock reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. Adapted from Baby and Child Care There is a big difference between light use of, or experimentation with, drugs and abusing drugs. Most teenagers are curious and want to take risks. And in a stressful and drug-filled society, they will experiment with drugs both out of curiosity and as a way of getting their needs met. Many teens will smoke marijuana at a party on the weekend or drink alcohol at parties with their friends. (About 80 percent of teenagers say they drink at least occasionally.) If you find some marijuana in your child's room, this does not necessarily mean that he is a heavy drug user. It is quite possible that he is experimenting out of curiosity or has smoked only infrequently. It is true that all drug addicts probably began by experimenting. But it is also true that most teens who dabble in drugs eventually give it up and don't go on to become chronic users. Since at least half of all teenagers in the United States have tried an illicit drug at some point, it's not helpful for you to respond to a one-time experiment or infrequent use in the same way as you would to frequent or chronic use. In fact, a hysterical overreaction to a brief flirtation with drugs may do more harm than good. This is not to say that experimentation is OK, but you should recognize that even the best teens in this day and age are curious and flirt with drugs. If that happens, it's your job to have a dialogue. Bear in mind that very few teens who experiment with drugs go on to have a long-term problem. If discussions about drug use are handled right, with open and honest communication, often this challenge helps the child to refine his decision-making skills and alerts him to the dangers of risk-taking. These are hard-won lessons, indeed, but very useful ones. Most children outgrow their drug use sooner or later. They begin to see that the cost outweighs the satisfactions. But if they are using drugs, parents will need to focus attention on the potential problems to prevent serious drug abuse or dependence. An adolescent who tries a drug (or cigarettes, or alcohol to the point of intoxication) once or twice is experimenting. Taking a drug at parties, weekly or less often, is drug use: The person knows what he is expecting the drug to do and is seeking that effect. Once an adolescent begins to need the drug in order to feel OK, and misses the drug when he doesn't have it, he is dependent. For a more detailed explanation, see the article Drug Abuse, Dependence, and Addiction. For more useful information check out our Tobacco, Family Relationships, and School Problems programs. Click here to join the discussion on Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco.
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