Q38. I think my daughter has been taking drugs, what do I do? - Drug Addiction FAQs

A38. If you suspect that she has taken drugs then your first thought will be to ask her about this.

It is not easy to confront a teenager with this but it is better if you can have a rational discussion with her about this rather than a full on argument.

Explain that you want to help and are not going to condemn or criticise her about this. It is not a case of being ‘in trouble’ but a realisation that she has a complex disorder that requires treatment. If this is a case of experimentation then sit down with her and discuss all aspects of doing so. Encourage her to see that this can be harmful and possible lead to dependency and addiction. Explain to her that she can always come to you for help and also be prepared to point her in the direction of agencies or drugs team which specifically deal with young people.

There are websites such as FRANK which are aimed towards young people and offer help and advice about drugs. It is a free, confidential helpline which enables people to blog, email, text or phone as well as sharing information with others. Details of this can be found on our links page.

Not every teenager who takes drugs will become an addict. Many just try it as a means of experimentation or to be ‘cool’ and part of the gang. But a few do end up with an addiction so it is important that action is taken early on to prevent this from happening.

Drug Addiction FAQs Index:

Faqs drug addiction Intro

1. What is an addiction?
2. What is the difference between a dependency and an addiction?
3. What causes an addiction?
4. Why do some people become addicted but others don’t?
5. What are the physical effects of an addiction?
6. What are the mental effects of an addiction?
7. What is the relationship between addiction and crime?
8. Can you have a harmless addiction to something?
9. Are there any risk factors for addiction?
10. How do I know if I have an addiction?
11. How do you treat an addiction?
12. What is ‘withdrawal’?
13. What are ‘cravings’?
14. What is a ‘relapse?’
15. Can you be cured of an addiction?
16. How does drinking lead to alcoholism?
17. What are the signs of a drink problem?
18. What is the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism?
19. What is ‘alcohol tolerance’?
20. What are alcohol withdrawal symptoms?
21. I think my partner is drinking heavily what can I do?
22. What is the treatment for alcohol addiction?
23. Why is smoking so addictive?
24. What is ‘nicotine'?
25. Why is it so difficult to stop smoking?
26. What are the effects of nicotine withdrawal?
27. How does smoking cause cancer?
28. How do some people smoke heavily all their lives and never get cancer?

29. What are the effects of smoking?
30. What is ‘caffeine’?
31. How can you become addicted to caffeine?
32. Which foods or drinks contain caffeine?
33. What are the effects of too much caffeine?
34. What is caffeine withdrawal?
35. I think I am drinking too much coffee, what should I do?
36. How much caffeine is there in energy drinks such as Red Bull?
37. How does an addiction start in young people?
38. I think my daughter has been taking drugs, what do I do?
39. Why do young people become addicted?
40. How can we stop young people from becoming addicted?
41. Why do people take drugs?
42. What are ‘hard’ drugs?
43. What are ‘soft’ drugs?
44. Is drug use confined to deprived areas only?
45. What are the signs of drug abuse?
46. What are the effects of drug use?
47. What is the link between drug use and crime?
48. Which are the most popular drugs in the UK?
49. Why do teenagers take drugs?
50. Can using cannabis lead to the use of harder drugs?
51. Can you stop taking drugs by willpower only?
52. Why do people lie about taking drugs?
53. How do you treat drug addiction?
54. What is ‘cold turkey’?
55. What is drug rehab?
56. Does drug treatment work?