Finding out that your teenager is smoking pot can be a nightmare and no parent wants to go through this situation. If you have recently found out that your teenager is smoking marijuana, there are some important steps that you can take to stop the risky behavior.
Step 1
Outline the health risks of pot. Tell your child exactly what could happen to him if he continues smoking pot. While pot is not considered addictive, there are plenty of other risks. Let your child know that smoking a single joint is as bad for the lungs as four regular cigarettes, and lung cancer can develop. Take your child to visit the doctor and let your doctor illustrate the different health problems that smoking pot can cause. From accidents caused by slowed impairment to emphysema, ensure that your teenager fully understands the health risks.
Step 2
Offer alternatives to your teenager. Discuss with your child the reasons that she is smoking pot and provide her with alternative choices. For instance, most teenagers smoke pot to fit in with a certain group of friends. You may suggest to your teenager to find a new group of friends that she doesn’t have to impress with pot. Or, if your teenager is smoking pot to relax, offer alternatives like meditation, yoga or even just some down time.
Step 3
Revoke your teenager’s privileges. Tough love may be the key to helping your teenager stop smoking pot. Remove his privileges until he can stop smoking pot. Take away the use of the family car or your teenager’s personal car, or reduce his curfew time so that he must be home before dark and block cell phone usage. Explain to your child that once he has decided to be responsible again and stop using pot, the privileges will be returned.
Step 4
Enroll your teen in a 12-step program. Although pot is not considered addictive, your child may have an addictive personality which makes it difficult to stop. A 12-step program can help your child stop smoking pot. Enroll you and your child into a local group program and make sure that you both attend. When you attend with your child, you show your support and willingness to help him overcome this issue. Although your child may appear to be disinterested, the information you both learn will sink in.
Step 5
Conduct regular urine tests. If you want to make sure that your child is not smoking pot, you can give her regular urine tests at home. Tests that determine whether an individual is using marijuana are available for home usage and can be found at Best 4 Drugs. See the Resources section for a link.Let your child know that you will be giving urine tests at home. By following the steps above, you can effectively help your teenager to stop smoking pot.
