As a parent, you have always made it very clear to your child that they should not use illegal drugs. It’s not just about the legality or illegality, either. You don’t want them to become addicted, suffer from an overdose, run into financial problems and the like. You made clear family rules and you thought that your child understood.
But then they got picked up on drug charges. A party they were at got busted by the police. Your teen swears it was the first time and they were just experimenting with the drugs, but they’re still facing serious charges. And you keep asking yourself why they would have done this when you were so clear with them.
All teens have their own reasons. For some, it’s relaxing, it feels good or they want to have fun. These are the same reason they’ll cite for drinking alcohol while underage. They enjoy it. They may even just say that they were bored and decided to try it.
In many cases, peer pressure comes into play. They may not have brought the drugs to the party or ever intended to use them. Someone else brought them out, though, and pressured them to try them. In the end, they didn’t want to let down their friends or they worried about what people would think of them, and they decided to do it. They may also be trying to show how independent they are. Some teens specifically rebel against the types of rules their parents make for that reason alone.
No matter why it happened, charges like this can be life-altering. Make sure you and your teen understand what legal options you have.