The holiday season is long past and most parents and their children are back to factory reset. In some families, children are just out of an escapade where they were openly exposed to endless partying involving alcohol and other substances of abuse by none other than their immediate family. Sadly, the merrymaking that marked the festive season was perfect ground for introducing children to alcohol and substance abuse.
A 2019 National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) study, “Status of Drugs and Substance Abuse among Primary School Pupils in Kenya” attributes substance abuse among children, some as young as four, to their parents’ and guardians’ lifestyles.
Pupils from families where both or one parent or guardian used drugs or abused substances were more likely to do so, as well as those accompanying parents to events where alcohol is served or it was available at home.
Marital aggression
Children of substance-abusing parents are at risk for many other negative outcomes, including emotional, social and behavioural adjustment problems and challenges in cognitive and academic functioning. Risk for poor emotional and behavioural outcomes among children living with such a parent are reported among those as young as 2-3 years of age.
Parental role shapes the behaviour, experiences and health of the child. Most parents want to see their children succeed and live a long, healthy life; thus the devotion in involvement with presence and provision for the child. Parents take pride as a child navigates from one stage in life to the other. In a way, the child’s perception of their parents is that they are their heroes and that should guide parents.
A study by researchers in the School of Nursing and the Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo shows young children with alcohol-abusing parents, those who experience marital aggression or have fathers who were more aggravated with their children in early childhood were more likely to have substance abuse problems as adolescents.
Parental alcoholism is associated with lower academic functioning. Most of them conclude that children whose parents evidence alcoholism show weaker performance in reading, spelling and math.
The Nacada report, for which over 3,000 pupils from 177 randomly selected public schools in 25 counties in Standard Five to Eight were interviewed, further states that role models are highly likely to influence children’s behaviour, including the use of drugs. Those whose role models are parents, celebrities, teachers and parents who abuse drugs are more likely to be negatively influenced by them.
Alcohol and drugs
As a parent, you have a major impact on your child’s decision not to use tobacco, alcohol and drugs. Talk with, and listen to, your child. Help your child make good choices and good friends and teach them different ways to say “No!”
Parents are the strongest influence that children have. There is no guarantee that your child won’t use drugs but that is much less likely to happen if you provide guidance and clear rules against it.
Drug abuse prevention starts with parents learning how to talk with their children about difficult topics. Then, the programmes offered by the school, sports and other groups can support what you start.
