By Allison Johnson, M.Ed., Program Consultant
AADAC Youth Services Centre - Calgary

Of all the difficult childhood behaviours parents may have to deal with, one of the most potentially serious is drug and alcohol abuse.  The choice to use is a common one: most adolescents will have at least experimented with alcohol before they turn 18.  The good news is that in the majority of cases, experimentation goes no further, with no lasting ill effects.  A minority of youth will continue and deepen their involvement, however, resulting in serious consequences to their health, development, future plans, and education.

"About half the kids we see are at least a grade behind," says Brenda Doyle, a teacher with the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission's (AADAC) Youth Services' school program.  "Most of them have been referred here for treatment directly because of substance abuse, or because they've been suspended for non-attendance that's linked to substance abuse."  But a student's school trouble may be related to more than drugs.  Doyle notes that kids with drug problems virtually always have a host of other issues.  Attention, learning, and motivation problems, low frustration tolerance, stress arising from unhealthy home situations, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, poor social skills, anger and conflict management problems, lack of appropriate adult guidance, and difficulty with problem solving all put children at risk for substance abuse.  Combined with society's emphasis on the "quick fix", these factors can leave a child vulnerable to the false promise of drug-induced relief.

So what can be done about drug problems?  It's tempting to look to parents, schools, community organizations, social service agencies, governments, religious institutions, and the kids themselves, as though one isolated group held all the answers.  In truth, it's the combined efforts of all of these groups, and more, that successfully address drug problems.  The idea that "it takes a whole community to raise a child" is pertinent.  Parents, schools, and religious institutions instill values and codes of behaviour; government and community organizations provide services, and set and enforce laws.  When all societal cylinders are running properly, kids feel supported and can guide their own behaviour in healthy directions.

In an effort to enhance its role in supporting healthy development, Alberta Learning is revising its K-9 health curriculum to provide a cumulative stream of support as children progress through the system.  The goals are broad, covering all the major determinants of health form personal hygiene to making healthy lifestyle choices.  The curriculum will extend into high school to further reinforce the previous ten years of learning and support.  Beginning in Grade 4, teachers will address substance abuse in the context of how indulgence in unhealthy behaviours can compromise well-being and personal goal achievement.  Students will understand the vital importance of overall psychological, emotional, and physical health, and how addictions can seriously and possibly irreparably undermine the tools for lifelong health.  The curriculum will be piloted in select schools beginning September 2000, with full implementation in all Alberta schools slated for September 2001.  Information on the curriculum is available at the Alberta Learning website (http://ednet.edc.gov.ab.ca/studentprograms/).

A parent's role in preventing addictions is crucial, and the first step is to become educated.  AADAC can provide information about drugs and gambling, the drugs that youth most commonly use, signs and symptoms of substance use or gambling problems, and treatment and counselling resources.  

It is also essential for parents to stay in touch with their children; to know who their friends are, what they like to do, and where they hang out. In doing so, parents can stay alert for behaviour changes that may signal a problem.  Signs of a possible drug problem include: changes in friends, a drop in school attendance and grades, changes in hygiene and personal care, increasing secretiveness, abnormal mood swings, appearing under the influence, and finding drugs or drug paraphernalia.  

AADAC and its Funded Agencies are available across the province to answer questions, consult with schools and community groups, provide community presentations, and offer counselling and treatment services.  All of AADAC's services are free and confidential, and parents may access counselling and support services even if their child is not in treatment.

While the problems that can accompany substance abuse are daunting, prompt attention can help to arrest and repair some of the damage.  Doyle is confident that kids can get their education back on track once the underlying issues are addressed.  "The trick is to get kids re-engaged with the education challenge," she says.  " We're not as concerned with what grade level kids are at as much as the progress they make while they're here.  Earning academic credits can provide the motivation to continue."  Counselling, treatment, and supportively attending to school difficulties can help move kids in the right direction again, not only with their education, but with the rest of their lives.

(First printed in Western Parent Magazine, January, 2000)