Discussing Drug Use with Your Teens

Todd: Hi! I am Todd from Buffalo, New York and I have a question. What do I tell my teenage daughter when she asked if I ever smoked pot?

Sara Sinal: Todd that's an interesting question. The first thing I would do in that situation would be to ask your teenager why she wants to know. I suspect that she maybe thinking about using pot, she may have friends who are using pot, maybe a friend has told her that their parents have used pot, but I would use this as an opportunity to discuss drug use with her.

If after that she is persistent and wanting to know your experience, then it's up to the individual parent whether they want to discuss what is a private issue with the teenager or not. It's possible that you could share your experiences, particularly if they were unpleasant ones. Ask the teenager to make better decisions and perhaps use this as an opportunity to foster open communication between your teenager and you around any suspected or considered drug use.


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