CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) \u2014 Winter break provides an opportunity for parents to reconnect with their college students and discuss substance use, mental health and decision-making ahead of the next semester.<\/p>\n
The transition from high school to college can be challenging for students in the Lowcountry, and South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities\u2019 Office of Substance Use Services says this break is a chance for parents to check in with their children and encourage them to keep their health a priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the other thing about winter break is it\u2019s just a really logical point of reflection for students, whether it\u2019s their first or second semester, to ask themselves how did the fall go, what\u2019s been going on,\u201d said Aimee Hourigan of the University of South Carolina.<\/p>\n
Students face new pressures<\/p>\n
The agency says many students return from the fall semester feeling overwhelmed by new pressures from academics to social or peer pressure expectations. Some parents may not know how to start these conversations without lecturing.<\/p>\n
\u201cListening is a big part of conversations. It\u2019s not just talking at, it\u2019s talking with,\u201d said Michelle M. Nienhius of the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.<\/p>\n
OSUS encourages parents to create an environment where students feel comfortable sharing how they\u2019re doing. The approach should be informative as well as supportive from a place of understanding that their college experience may not look the same as their parents.<\/p>\n
The\u201d youth, young adults in particular, want to know why is it that I shouldn\u2019t use this, or why should I contemplate how much I should or shouldn\u2019t put into my body. They want to know the science, they want to know how it effects their bodies, their brains,” Nienhius said.<\/p>\n
Substance accessibility increases<\/p>\n
Despite a national decline in alcohol and drug use among college students, the agency says accessibility to substances has increased, making open conversations more important.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have not paid attention to what\u2019s being sold in your local grocery stores, convenience stores, vape shops, smoke shops recently, then you have no idea what\u2019s out there. You don\u2019t know that there are products that look just like energy drinks but they\u2019re not. They\u2019re THC laced products. Same thing with the gummies and the candies,\u201d Nienhius said.<\/p>\n
The agency launched a website with conversation starters for parents, including learning terminology and spotting potential dangers.<\/p>\n
\u201cAvoiding the lectures in the confrontation is really important because they\u2019ve had at least one semester now of independence so you want to respect that and give them a chance to assert themselves and talk about what they want and they\u2019re experiencing,\u201d Hourigan said.<\/p>\n