This book is my way of sharing two decades of experience in helping people with drug problems. Using the latest science on how drugs work in the brain, I have tried to show their attraction as well as the problems they cause. Drug use peaks in adolescence, just at the time when the developing brain is uniquely vulnerable to their harmful effects.

For parents with children who are not using drugs, I hope the advice in this book will help stop problems developing. Having the drug conversation with your child before they are exposed to drugs will allow you to return to the topic if needed, without your child fearing that you are unable or unwilling to discuss it. They may then come to you earlier and be more honest about drugs, giving you a better chance of helping.

For parents with children who are experiencing drug problems, I hope this book has provided useful advice and either reassured you that you are doing the right things or helped you see a new path. There are no easy solutions and no simple right or wrong approaches. Much will depend on your relationship with your child and working as a team with family and friends.

I will finish with the key messages that, in my experience, parents have found helpful.

Preventing drug use

Start early

Try to have a knowledgeable, open conversation about drugs before your child is exposed to them or people using them.

Provide accurate information

Make sure your child knows where to get reliable information and is aware of any specific vulnerabilities they have to drugs, such as family history.

Remain vigilant

Your child will almost certainly be offered drugs at some point and may or may not try them. Adolescence is a difficult period, during which huge physical, psychological and social changes take place. Be vigilant for changes that might suggest that your child is coming into contact with drugs, for example changes in peer groups or academic performance.

Managing drug use

Is there a problem?

If you think your child is using drugs, try to establish what is really going on. This will almost certainly involve you speaking to them and perhaps others.