International Overdose Awareness Day

International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), which takes place on August 31, is an annual event aimed to educate the public about a well-known, yet often misunderstood problem. It is a time to honour those who have lost lives due to drug overdose, to eradicate the shame associated with overdose fatalities, and to inspire communities to take real action to address the issue.

Concerned parents and family members are always on the lookout for methods to bring up the subject of their teens' substance use/misuse. While gaining teens' attention to such issues may seem overwhelming, parents may take the following actions to help keep their adolescents away from substances:

Supportive relationships generate strong bonds - Teenagers might more easily disclose their difficulties when they share a warm relationship with their parents. Maintaining a pleasant connection develops trust and contributes to the development of a good parent-child bond. This makes it easy for parents to watch their teenager's conduct, as well as discuss the frequency of addiction disorders in their community.
Be an influential teacher - Because parents are the primary educators who shape their children's lives, their actions count more than their words. It is critical for parents to live in a manner consistent with the advice they continuously provide their teenager.
Estimating risk level of teenagers - Teenagers who grow up in households affected by substance use/misuse are more likely to experiment with illicit substances. In such settings, parents may be vigilant for signs of social or behavioural issues in their adolescents.
Recognise the types of individuals with whom adolescents associate – The kind of company a teenager keeps or is exposed to has a significant impact on the behaviours they develop or display in the future.
Boundary-setting - While setting boundaries for children may seem old fashioned, psychologists suggest that children, particularly teens, should be continually supervised and reminded of the boundaries they may not breach, for their own good.
Discussing openly about drugs and alcohol - Effective communication paves the way for fruitful and healthy debates. Discussions regarding the present prevalence of addiction problems assist adolescents in comprehending the consequences of dependency, in addition to its detrimental effect on one's psychological state.