Help Your Teen Navigate the Challenges of Drug Use in College
 If your teen plans to go to college, they have a lot to look forward to: studying new subjects, making new friends, and becoming more independent. There will probably be some new challenges, too, and one of them might be related to drug use. You can help your teen prepare for the challenges they could face when it comes to making a decision about drugs. Here are some tips:
- Talk openly with your teen about the fact that they might be faced with the opportunity to use drugs. Explain the risks of drug use and talk about what to do if they are offered drugs.
- Check in with them from time to time to see how things are going.
- Remind them that it’s okay to ask for help if they feel stressed, isolated, or hopeless.
- Help them understand that it takes time to figure out how best to manage their new life away from home.
- Don’t assume that because your teen resisted drugs in high school, the same will happen in college. Peer pressure is harder to resist when teens are independent, and drug use statistics rise after the age of 18.
- If your teen resists the conversation, which is natural, you can show them the drug use statistics on NIDA’s college pages to explain your concerns.
For more advice about helping your teen prepare for college, check out this video from Dr. Nora Volkow, NIDA’s Director. Dr. Volkow talks about the risks of drug use in college and how parents and other adults can help college students cope with those risks. | 
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