Talking to Youth About Not Using Opioids

Heroin, cocaine, speed, and pills laced with fentanyl can kill you.

Young people may misuse prescription opioids for many reasons - curiosity, peer pressure, and wanting to fit in. They may also take them to deal with depression, anger, stress, anxiety or other emotional concerns. For youth and young adults, opioids can be easier to access than other drugs. Fifty percent of people ages 12 and older report getting drugs from friends or a relative’s prescription pain meds for nonmedical use.

Preventing teen opioid use starts by talking and listening. Parents and teachers are strong influencers in a teen’s life. Here are some tips to start the conversation about the risks of opioid use. This conversation could save a life and help someone reach their full potential.

• Check in frequently to see how they are doing.
• Choose informal times to talk, such as in the car, during dinner, or while watching TV.
• Carve out family time.
• Let them know you care and are always there for them.
• Be a good listener.
• Be clear and consistent about your expectations and consequences regarding opioids and other drug use.
• Help them deal with peer pressure to use drugs. Instead of telling them what to say or do in an uncomfortable situation, ask them. Help brainstorm ways to turn down offers for their own reasons, such as:
  • “I’m not into that,”
  • “I can’t,”
  • “I don’t feel like it” or
  • “I have a big game tomorrow and don’t want to be groggy.”
• Help them come up with an “exit plan” if they find themselves in a situation where people are using drugs – or encouraging them to use.
• This could be texting a code word to a family member. In one family, texting "X" means they’ll immediately get picked up from wherever they are, no questions asked.
• Talk about the negative impacts of drug use and the impacts on their lives.

To learn more about the warning signs of opioid use, visit the Know the Signs page.

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