Drug Addiction Prevention: Youth Programs
At Ozarks Teen Challenge, we often blog about ways to deal with children with drug addiction. We blog about ways different drug treatment plans, like recreation therapy programs, can help our boys gain skills that will keep them from drugs. But today, we would like to talk about the equally important topic of drug prevention. Youth programs, specifically, are a great form of drug prevention for kids.
Youth Programs Help Children Resist the Temptation of Drugs
There are many tools we can use to help guide our kids away from drugs before they ever have the opportunity to encounter recreational, experimental, and addictive drug use first hand. Some of these include faith, open conversation, drug education, and youth programs. Youth programs work very well in preventing drug use, and many youth programs start at a young age.
Give Purpose
A person without a purpose is a person easily swayed. If you have no drive or passion, then you are more likely to turn to drugs. Youth programs of all kinds, be they sports teams, music lessons, theater classes, or woodworking projects, can light a passion in your child. Passion equals direction and purpose. A person with a purpose makes decisions to help them reach their goals. This helps give them the strength to resist drugs in a way a teenager without purpose would not be able to.
Builds Skills
Let’s face it, our world can be frightening at times. Our kids are going through high school and sometimes college without gaining the skills they believe they need to succeed in the world. The job market is not extremely stable, and people cannot get anywhere without the right skills or the confidence to learn those skills. Youth programs help kids learn from an early age that they are capable of learning new skills. Kids gain confidence with each goal they score, with each new song they conquer, and with each new birdhouse they build. A passionate teenager with confidence in his ability and judgment will find it easy to say no to drugs.
Self-Discipline
Aside from a relationship with our Lord and Savior, self-discipline might be the most important trait a modern teenager can have in the face of temptation. Learning and excelling at specific positions on the soccer field or baseball diamond require massive amounts of discipline. Learning how to play “Bach’s Toccata in d minor” requires self-discipline. The sooner your son can start exercising his self-discipline, the sooner he will learn how to say no to drugs.
Youth Programs at Ozarks Teen Challenge
Our youth programs are designed to teach real-world skills, to build confidence, and to improve our boys’ relationships with the Lord. We teach boys about fitness and nutrition. We teach them valuable basic work skills, and we use recreational therapy programs to build character traits they will need when they are tempted to use drugs again in the future. Contact Ozarks Teen Challenge today for more information.
