Family Life Education Series
"Youth Substance Abuse - Deadly!"
The term "substance abuse" may sound unfamiliar to most parents. They vaguely know these are "drugs" which may have adverse effects on pleasure-seeking teens or youths going to some discotheques or rave parties. Professor Wong Chung-kwong, a psychiatrist and Chairman of Positive Living United Services, explains and discusses the correct attitude which should be adopted by parents to the issue:
Substance abuse is an increasingly common problem among teenagers. The substances that are abused include alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, soft drugs, stimulants, hallucinogens, opioids and organic solvents, just to name a few. Many of these substances are toxic and often lethal. Substance abuse is a serious problem by itself and in many cases often lead to multiple life-long handicaps and suffering, for instances, failed careers, broken marriages, criminal offences and serious physical and mental illnesses.
Substance abuse is a symptom and a syndrome. It is a symptom of unhappy parent-child relationship, deficient upbringing, undesirable peer relationship and abnormal psychosocial development. It is a syndrome in that it has well defined symptomatology, causes, course, and morbidity and mortality.
We suggest two pragmatic ways to understand and help teenagers who abuse substances. The first is to understand and neutralise the "push" and the "pull" factors. The "push" factors are those that push teenagers away from their families and from their normal psychological development. These factors include parent-child discord, low self-esteem and emotional disturbance (including depressive disorders). The "pull" factors are those that attract teenagers to substance abuse. These factors include abnormal peer influence and subcultural reasons. Usually both sets of factors interact as vicious circles. Parents who do not understand these factors very often make matters worse in trying to help their children. For example, by using blunt parental authority, they further push their children away and make them more attracted by undesirable peers.
The other pragmatic approach is to use behavioural science principles. Behaviourally, substance abuse is a "shadow". The real problem is the deficiency in desirable behavioural repertoire. Aiming at "not to abuse drug" is only struggling with the shadow. We must help teenagers substitute the bad habit with constructive, healthy and rewarding habits.
(This article is supplied by Welfare Services Group. The full text will be uploaded onto the Healthy Lifestyle Website of POINT)
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If your children have similar problems, please call your respective regional welfare office (all consultations are treated in total confidence) - Hong Kong Island: 2804-1570; Marine: 2301-1670; Kowloon East: 2304-1400; Kowloon West: 2150-7988; New Territories North: 2673-5983; New Territories South: 2418-0050.
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Kowloon East family life education programme
A family life education programme jointly organised by the Kowloon East Regional Headquarters, Welfare Services Group of Personnel Services Branch and Moral Education Concern Group will be held on May 12 at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
The programme, for both Kowloon East disciplined and civilian staff, includes a seminar entitled "Overcoming Stress, Turning Crisis into Opportunities and Living a Fulfilled Life" for parents to be given by Professor Wong Chung-kwong.
The themes of his talk are: understanding and overcoming stress, and enhancing resilience; strategies of overcoming adversities, and turning adversities into opportunities, and mastering life skills, and on our way to a fulfilled life.
Children aged five and above, will join educational groups organised by Registered Social Worker of Caritas. A child-care service will also be provided for children under the age of five.
There will also be a Mother's Day lunch
buffet and a children drawing activity at the university canteen.
A shuttle bus service between Kowloon East Region and HKUST will be available at 8.45 am and 3.30 pm.
The fee for the morning programme is $20 per head for adults and children aged above three. The cost for the buffet is $40 per person. There is no charge for children under three.
Enrolment and payment for the programme should be made in person at Kowloon East Regional Welfare Office or the region's Training and Staff Relation Officers.
For further enquiries, please call 2304-1404 or 2304-1406. Or by e-mail to: welfare-ke-gr@police.gov.hk.
Professor Wong Chung-kwong