Straight Dope for Parents

As a parent, you are uniquely positioned to detect the early signs of drug use. If you suspect that your child is drinking or using drugs, don't ignore the signs. Intervening and ending the behavior early significantly reduces the risk that your child's use will lead to harm -- an accident, poor school performance, legal problems, brain damage, or addiction.

Some of the warning signs to watch out for are:

• Dropping old friends and getting new ones
• Dropping activities such as sports
• A sudden drop in academic performance
• Missing or skipping school
• Declining grades
• Constant discipline problems
• Borrowing or stealing money
• Increased secrecy
• Sudden, frequent mood swings
• Irritability
• Depression
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Difficulty concentrating
• Chronic restlessness
• Aggressiveness

The behavioral changes described above indicate that your child may be experimenting with or using drugs.

However, if your child is actually drunk or high, or is using drugs habitually, here is a set of distinct, clear signs to look out for:
Symptoms of Current Drug Use (PDF, 58 KB).

To learn more about the signs of use, read the book.