What are your teens getting up to?

Drugs
With recent research by charity Drugscope finding that ecstasy tablets are selling for as little as 50p each and government statistics showing that 39 per cent of 15 year olds used illegal drugs in the last year, your teen is bound to come into contact with them.

Having the 'drugs conversation' is important. Research shows teens that feel they can talk openly about drugs with their parents are less likely to try them, or try them later on (when perhaps they will do so more carefully). Part of this may be due to an increased sense of family unity that raises their confidence not to bend to peer pressure to use drugs. It's interesting that further research found 91 per cent of teens thought the government should do more to protect them from drink and drugs!

How to tackle it

• To ensure your drugs conversation gets off on the right foot, first off get yourself informed. Check out www.talktofrank.com for up-to-date information. If you sound as if you know what's out there your teen will take you more seriously.
• Next, be calm when raising the issue. Choose a moment when you actually have time to let the conversation flow and neither you nor your teen feel stressed.
• Acknowledge the fact that for some people taking drugs may make them 'feel good' but that there are many ways to get a natural high and encourage them to find those. Many teens get great pleasure from doing things like urban street dance classes or DJ mixing sessions. If they can find what gives them a high they are less likely to take drugs.
• Emphasise the fact that no one can predict who will have a bad drugs reaction and that this is a risk you do not want them to take.
• Encourage them to check out www.thesite.org to see various peer group conversations about issues like drugs.
• Keep aware of your teen's moods. If they become erratic, or depressed, if money goes missing, if they stop looking after themselves, these are all signs they made be on drugs.
• You can ring the National Drugs Helpline (0800-776-600); AdFam (020-7928-8898); Drug Concern (020-8681-8113). Also talk to your GP about local drugs services.

Drinking
Parents find concerns over drinking particularly hard to deal with considering alcohol is legal for the over 18s. Generally speaking 16 and 17 year-olds find it very easy to get a drink served. The most important thing you can do is set a good example with your own up drinking. You could also introduce your children to sensible drinking - where they get a small glass of wine or beer on family occasions, so it's a positive example.

As with drug concerns, keeping an open dialogue about drinking in moderation and being able to say 'No' to the pressure to get drunk will help your child.

When they go to parties ensure that other parents supervise them. Don't be fobbed off by your teen saying there will be supervision, you have the right to ring the parents at the home where the party's taking place to ensure they will be there. If your child comes home drunk, rather than rage at them, have a sensible conversation with them the next day. Ground them from the next party and explain why they're having that privilege taken away.

If your child repeatedly comes home drunk, seek help from your GP for adolescent alcohol counselling. Take repeated incidence of drunkenness seriously, and by catching it early you may be able to get them back on the right track.