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Wednesday, March 12, 2008

What Can You Do To Help?

Education is the first step towards preventing drug abuse in our children. Educate yourself. Educate your family. Do you know the warning signs? Do you talk to your kids? Do you really know what's going on in their lives? How well do you know your teen? Take this quiz.

I have gone through the gamut of emotions from denial to complete outrage. I started out with "not my kid!". I saw the signs. She wasn't interested in cheer leading anymore. Her grades were becoming worse. She took naps in the afternoons. She started hanging out with different kids. I had a reasonable explanation for every thing I saw. She was going to a new school, so to me it wasn't that big of a deal that she didn't call her old best friend anymore. She had made new friends. Her grades were slipping because it was her first year in high school. She was adjusting to a more structured and demanding curriculum. She said she had lost interest in cheering and wanted to quit. I said OK. Kids change their minds constantly about what interests them. I remember taking naps after school when I was her age. Teenagers tend to stay up way past their bed time the night before and end up being exhausted by the time school is over the next day.I considered myself an educated parent. I truly felt I knew what to look for. I was completely wrong. My daughter had become a liar, a manipulator, a drug addict. I was angry at myself for not doing something sooner and angry for not educating myself beforehand. As a parent it is our job to be prepared, to talk to our kids and to be ever vigilant. I was also angry at my community. When I asked our older daughter what is taught at the school about drugs, she said nothing. I asked if there were posters, brochures, pamphlets, anything to let kids know how dangerous drugs are and where they can find help if they need it. Her answer was a resounding "No."

Whether you find yourself in the same position I was in, scared and angry, or you are taking steps now to prevent drug use in your home, you have already taken the first step by looking for information. You're reading this, so you have access to a computer. I started by searching and reading. I call it my trusty Google finger. I love Google. I searched for every keyword I could think of. From teenager to drunk driving, from marijuana to mental health. Whatever you want to know, the information is out there, you only need to look. I made a seperate folder for favorite sites that I found. I started this blog. I began asking questions in my community.


Find out what, if any, resources are available in your area. Ask your school, health care provider or clergy what they are doing to educate adolescents and prevent drug abuse in your community. Ask what you can do to help. Sign up for the Pareting Tips newsletter. Volunteer to share what you have learned in a Sunday school class or at a PTA meeting. Participate in a "Drug-Free Pledge Signing" . Download and print free brochures, postures or postcards and pass them out to friends, neighbors, at school, or at church.

Start here by downloading this free booklet "The Truth About Drugs".

Fact for the Day:
Kids who learn about the risks of drug abuse from their parents or caregivers are less likely to use drugs than kids who don't.
source

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