Parents, YOU make the difference!

As children age, it is important to build trust with them and keep the lines of communication open so that if at any point they begin to feel increased pressure to experiment with smoking, drinking and using drugs they can feel comfortable talking to you about it.

Every day activities like having family dinner together, helping your children with their homework or attending their after school activities have a lasting effect on your kids.

Each of these moments offers an opportunity to connect, share and really listen to what’s on their mind. Research shows that children with hands-on parents are far less likely to smoke, drink or use other drugs. Remember, parental engagement matters!

Back to School: Helping Kids Lead Healthy, Save and Drug-Free Lives

In the next few weeks, more than 20 million American Teenagers will head back to school, carrying with them their parents’ hopes and expectations for a successful academic year. Right now, as parents, we are buying school supplies and new school clothes. There are other ways that parents can help prepare their teens for back-to school.

Many young people, however will face the challenges to their successes and well-being, challenges such as the threat of alcohol and drugs. Substance abuse puts teens at risk for school failure and an array of health, social and legal consequences. According to a recent National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, students who do not use marijuana, alcohol, or take prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription, receive higher grades than their classmates who do engage in those behaviors. Unfortunately, teens’ perception of the harm of drug uses, especially use of marijuana, is softening, a trend that generally signals higher drug use rates in the future.

Why do teens start using drugs? Some do so in an attempt to “fit in” to new social situations. Others overestimate the proportion of their peers who use drugs and mistakenly believe they need to use drugs to become socially acceptable. Many parents believe they are powerless to influence their teens. However, research makes clear that parents remain the single most powerful influence in their kids’ lives. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, most illicit drug use starts in the Teenage Years.

Parents should know the warning signs of possible drug use. These include:

• Skipping class, or not doing well in school

• Significant mood changes

• Loss of interest in personal appearance

• A change in friends

• Heightened secrecy about actions and possessions, and

• Lack of interest in activities

Here are 8 tips for talking to your teen about smoking, drinking and drugs

1. Early on, establish an open dialogue on a variety

of topics with your children 2. Make your expectations about substance use clear

to your children 3. Make talking with your children about substance us a natural part of continuing discussion with them, rather than just a one-time event 4. When discussing alcohol and other drugs, be honest and focus on the facts appropriate to your child’s developmental stage 5. Tell your children that we know a lot more today about the dangers of smoking, drinking and drug use for teens than we did years ago 6. Use news, TV shows, videos on the internet, or

real-life occurrences as teaching opportunities 7. If your child asks about your history of substance us, don’t lie, but first focus your response on your child and why he or she is asking 8. Teach your child that being a good friend means

getting help for a friend who abuses substances (Source: How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid: The Straight Dope for Parents)

This message is brought to you by Communities that Care of Lorain County. For more information and additional resources, please go to www. ctcloraincounty.org or call 440-282-9920