Parents can provide positive alternatives to drugs – any interests or activities that make kids feel good and uses their spare time. Some activities often found helpful are physical exercise, sports, working to achieve personal goals, helping others, hobbies, drug–free youth groups, a constructive home environment (i.e., having stimulating things to do at home, such as a computer), and part time employment. If children can find other enjoyable things in life, they will be less likely to turn to drugs.The best things all parents can do can be probably, is to keep the communication lines open with their kids.
Which age groups need guidance to make healthy choices?
Making choices will be harder for some than for others. It will be hardest when children and young people have experienced poor approaches to health while young, for those who have poor self–esteem and emotional health, and for those among whom risk–taking behaviours are already established.
What are the steps to be taken to help people make healthy choices?
The first step in influencing health behaviours in any group is to understand why people make the choices that they do.
The second step is to design and deliver any new initiatives in consultation with them. Young people tell us that issues of smoking, drinking and sexual health tend to be presented from an adult perspective and do not fit the context of their lives or their experiences. Well–intentioned messages are either mistrusted or seen as irrelevant and about someone else. Young people do not consider the risks and benefits of different choices in the same way as adults.
We should offer focus on creating the conditions for all young people to live healthy, happy, safe and prosperous lives and successfully make the sometimes complicated transition to adulthood. This will include specific new proposals to improve young people’s mental and physical health and provide alternatives to risk–taking behaviour that has an adverse impact on health.
- increase the choice and availability of opportunities for young people to engage in positive activities in their spare time, and to ensure there are places where they can be themselves and feel safe. This will include initiatives to encourage young people to access more physical and sporting activities;
- improve the relevance and accessibility of information, advice and guidance services that are available to all young people when they make everyday choices about lifestyles and health in particular smoking, drinking and sexual health
- develop new ways of supporting the parents of teenagers so that they feel equipped to help their children make informed choices, particularly on sensitive issues such as sex and relationships.