• Educate yourself on alcohol and the different types of drugs and other dangerous activities kids participate in

• Take any opportunity to talk to your kids, like driving to school or watching TV together, to let them know what is important to you.

Stay involved in your kids' lives

• Know what your kids are doing and who they are doing it with-Be interested in your kids

• Praise and reward good behavior

• Kids who are not regularly monitored by their parents are 4 times more likely to use drugs.

• Try to be with your kids between 3-6 p.m., the most critical time of the day for "latchkey" kids

• Set clear rules and guidelines

• Get to know other adults in your child's life-teachers, coaches, friend's parents

•Respect your teen, give them privacy and spare to be an individual

• Be a good role model

• Don't say "it's just alcohol":

• If a teen drinks at age 15, he or she has a 40% chance of alcoholism or alcohol dependence as an adult

• 30% of students report that they've ridden one or more times in the last month with a driver who had been drinking

• Don't say "it's just marijuana":

• Users show lack of motivation

• Using marijuana affects the parts of the brain that control memory, attention and learning

• One joint delivers 4 times the cancer causing tar than one tobacco cigarette

• A moderate dose of marijuana has been shown to impair driving performance

• Marijuana today has more than twice the concentration of THC, the active chemical, than the marijuana 20 years ago.

• Young users who use weekly have double the risk of depression and are 3 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts.

Signs and Symptoms of Drug Use:

It is not always easy to tell if your child is using drugs because many signs and symptoms are common for youth.

Some warning signs include:

Skipping classes or not doing will in school

Unusual odors on their clothes or in their room

Hostility or lack of cooperation

Physical changes (red eyes, dilated or constricted pupils, runny nose)

Borrowing money often or suddenly having extra cash

Lack of interest in activities

Change in friends

Increased secrecy about possessions or activities

Potential risk factors:

Availability of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (in home, school, or community)

Family history of the problem

Family management problems

Family conflict

Favorable parental attitudes and involvement in crime, alcohol and drugs

Problem behaviors

Alienation and rebelliousness

Friends who engage in the problem behavior

Lack of clear enforced policy on the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs

Lack of commitment to school

Prevention Starts at Home-revisit:

What to look for if you think your child is using:

Small pieces of foil

Spoon, possibly burnt in appearance

Empty cans of dust-off, or other aerosol can products

Cut-off straws or rolled up dollar bills

Empty plastic bags lying around

Unexplained injuries or punctures on the body

What do you if you suspect your child is using:

Wait until you are calm to talk to them

Encourage honesty because that is what you want

Tell your child what you saw and how you feel about it. Be specific.

Set clear rules and guidelines and let the kids know that they will be enforced.

Focus on the behavior, not on the child

Be a good role model

Enroll help from the other parents, community, and school

Lower potential of a child using:

Be involved in their lives and activities

Know who they are friends with and what they do

Be a good role model

Make clear rules and enforce them with consistency

There is hope:

Teens who learn the risks of drugs from parents are 54% less likely to try drugs

30.2% of kids report using marijuana in the past month when their parents do not strongly disapprove of drug use. However, only 5.5% of teens report use in the past month then their parents strongly opposes drug use.

2/3 of kids aged 13-17 say losing their parents respect and pride is one of the main reasons they don't use drugs.

6 important steps to avoiding D&A usage:

1. Establish and maintain good communication with your child

2. Get involved in your child's life

3. Make clear rules and enforce them with consistency and appropriate consequences

4. Be a positive role model

5. Teach your child to choose friends wisely

6. Monitor your child's activities