Addiction Prevention

Every parent wants to see their children grow up safely and reliably accompany them on the path to a happy life. But what if your child has their first experiences with tobacco and alcohol during puberty or even comes into contact with illegal addictive substances such as drugs?

Addictive behavior is usually associated with addictive substances such as tobacco, alcohol, medication or drugs such as cannabis. However, there are also addictive behaviors that express themselves through excessive eating or starving, through gambling, shopping or media addiction. One speaks of addiction when the person concerned, for example, starves compulsively, regularly drinks himself into a frenzy, can no longer stop gambling, or uncontrollably buys things that are not needed and used.

Addiction often has a history. Some children learn early on that little "comforters" help them get over grief. The lower the level of self-esteem and self-confidence, the greater the risk of developing addictive behavior later on. You can counteract this by strengthening your child's personality right from the start. With a healthy self-confidence, it will be easier for your daughter or son to say no to tobacco, alcohol or drugs later on.

The portal "Kinder stark machen für ein suchtfreies Leben" of the Federal Center for Health Education BZgA is aimed directly at parents and offers a lot of information and tips to prevent addictive behavior in children later on.

A lot of things come together during puberty. Children grow older, want to go their own way, test boundaries and rebel against their parents. In addition, the influence of girlfriends and boyfriends becomes greater during this time. To prove courage in the clique or to impress others, tobacco and alcohol come into play at some point. You will not be able to completely avoid testing your limits and these first experiences. It becomes problematic when the addictive substances become permanent "escape helpers" because conflicts and problems can no longer be solved without addictive substances. However, you can actively support your child in clearly recognizing the risks of addictive substances and dealing with them responsibly.

If your child tries out his or her limits during puberty, this is quite normal and not automatically a reason for excessive concern. Often it remains a temporary phase. If the beginnings develop into serious problems, you can find counseling services here: