Your teen does not use drugs, but his friends do. How will the law proceed?

If your child hasn't succumbed to peer pressure to try drugs, his or her friends may have. What happens when the police catch them together? In the eyes of the law, your child is not necessarily innocent. Read more on this topic from Sargent James Smith, of the Texas Police Dept. in the PACT360 blog post. Smith explains why a law enforcement officer will use discretion to handle this situation. Click here to read the article.

If you suspect or confirm that one of your teen's friends is using drugs here are some tips for handling the situation.

Ask your child point-blank if he/she is using or is being pressured to use. Do not allow unsupervised free time to be spent with this other child. Make it known that until this 'friend' receives help and the behavior changes, interactions with him/her will be closely monitored and even limited.

What's a parent to do?

• Get to know your child's friends and their parents.
• Monitor (and limit, if necessary) your child's time spent with certain friends.
• Do not allow an over-night with a child you suspect smokes, drinks or uses other drugs.
• Be present (as much as possible) when your child has friends in your home.
• If you cannot be home, make sure another trusted adult supervises when friends are over.
• Randomly call or text your child to check in when he/she is at a friend's house. Establish open communication with other parents to check in on your child or to alert them of something happening with their child.
• Keep the conversation going so you can be your child's trusted source of information. Talk, listen and openly discuss (on a regular basis) the many issues surrounding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs