Young adults and teenagers need a ‘toolkit’ on a variety of ways you can say no, as well as how to manage risk and aim to reduce the harm.  

 

Having a conversation with your teenager should be more than once.  

Not ‘a’ talk but a series of ongoing conversations with your person.

Start to build rapport and trust with children as the grown into teenagers and young adults is a process.
 

A range of resources and information are available so you can be prepared on what to say and source information on the topic. Aim for a relaxed conversation to start - while cooking dinner or driving together in the car. Try to avoid starting with “can we talk or we need to talk”.
 

Raise a topic (e.g. drugs, bullying) and ask how they feel about it.  The response will give you an idea on where they stand, what is going on in their lives, at school or social circles.

​

Conversation Responses and Examples

‘Oh yeah heaps of kids do it, it’s no big deal’              'Why do you think it’s not a big deal?'
“I have a friend that does [drugs]'                             'What do you think is going on with your friend?'
‘I think [doing drugs] is really a bad idea’                   'What effect / impact do you think it has?'
 

Expect they may not ‘confess’ everything in the moment or you may not like what you hear as their answer or response.

A range of resources available to parents and teenagers to learn the facts about drugs and alcohol, their effects and what you can do to manage the risks.