Talk EARLY Talk OFTEN Get others INVOLVED Parent Forum October
22, 2010 Slide 2 What are Your Dreams?? Slide 3 Crushing dreams
Drugs & Alcohol Prevention ! Slide 4 Average age? Slide 5
National average: 13 Slide 6 Slide 7 Why do Kids Use?? Stress More
freedom Curiosity Peer Pressure Transitions Environment Genetics
Personality Slide 8 What would you do? Slide 9 Kids & Drugs
Drug use triples between 6 th 8 th grade Each day, over 15,000 kids
try drugs for the first time (Nationally) DASIS 2006; BGCA, 2007;
NSDUH 2006 Slide 10 So Whats the 411 Local drug trends in and
around Watertown What are the kids saying in school? What is law
enforcement seeing and hearing? Slide 11 Hot Topics Slide 12
Generation R x 1 in 5 teens will abuse a Rx medication Over 60% of
teens report easy to get from parents medicine cabinets Most
commonly used Rx pain relievers: Percocet Vicodin Codeine OxyContin
OxyContin abuse is leading to an increase in heroin addiction
Partnership for a Drug Free America 2005 PATS Slide 13 Alcohol
Alcohol Kids who drink are: 22 times more likely to use marijuana
50 times more likely to use cocaine NIAAA Slide 14 Rite of Passage?
Due to stages of brain development, teens are at an elevated risk
Immature Brain May Place Teenagers at Elevated Risk to Effects of
Drug Use) *Watkins, Ellickson, Vaiana, & Hiromoto, 2006 Window
of Sensitivity Slide 15 Alcohol Alcohol Kills 6.5 times more kids
than all other illicit drugs. By graduation, 66% are regular
drinkers, 40% are frequent binge drinkers. 90% of teen drinking is
binge drinkin g. Alcohol poisoning is equivalent. to an overdose.
Slide 16 16 Don't buy the Weed'O'Magic lie! How many other
medicines that people take Why Marijuana Is NOT A Medicine Don't
buy the Weed'O'Magic lie! How many other medicines that people
take: Are smoked? = 0 Come in unmeasured doses? = 0 Have unknown
strengths? = 0 Taken as often as patient think needed? = 0 In crude
form (aspirin > tree bark, penicillin > bread mold, etc.)? =
0 Voted on by the public? = 0 Circumvent safety of FDA New Drug
Unit testing? = 0 Contain no warnings of harm? = 0 Recommended by
doctors, not prescribed? = 0 Medical examination NOT required = 0
Exempt from state regulations by the compliance authorities = 0
Allow a person to grow or produce their own medicine? = 0 Allow
some unnamed person to hold patients medicine? = 0 ONE exception
would be amazing, but all of them? U N B E L I E V A B L E ! Ed
Moses Slide 17 Drug Paraphernalia Slide 18 Over 1000 Slang Words
for Marijuana Slide 19 Parent Involvement Significant parental
involvement is the most important factor in deterring young people
from using drugs. White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy Talking to your kids about drugs may reduce substance abuse
by up to 50%! Partnership for a Drug Free America Slide 20 What
else can you do besides talk? Slide 21 Being aware & observe
Drawings Clothing Slang Slide 22 Say What?!?! 40 or 80. Abe... Adam
Are you anywhere? Al Capone Amped. Back to back Bagging... Baker
Bammy Bart Simpson... Belushi. Big Harry. Booted. Oxycontin $5
worth of drugs MDMA Do you smoke weed? Heroin High on Meth Using
Heroin then Meth Using Inhalents Marijuana Smoker Marijuana Heroin
Cocaine and Heroin Heroin High Slide 23 Signs of drug use or
typical teen age behavior? a drop in grades isolates from family
poor achievement mood up and down dishonest about whereabouts
dishonest about a lot of things early cigarette smoking change in
peer group draws pot leaves, drugs, or drug symbols defiance of
authority red, watery, or glassy eyes uses eye drops to hide red
eyes late or unexplained hours rejection of parental values have
found unexplained paraphernalia disappearance of money or
possessions defensive about drug use antisocial behavior loss of
interest in previous hobbies and activities Slide 24 Five Questions
How often do you hear people talking about drugs at school? How
many of your friends have tried marijuana? How easy is it for you
to get beer or alcohol? What is the most common drug at school?
When was the last time you saw someone drunk or stoned? Slide 25
Take Action! Communicate clearly. Start communicating early and
often, asking questions. Share your family history regarding drugs
and alcohol if appropriate. Slide 26 Get to know your childs
friends, their siblings and their parents. Know your kids room and
car. No area is off- limits. Use a home drug test as a way to
prevent, and if need be, intervene earlier in a teens drug use.
Slide 27 Local Resources School Counselors School Resource Officers
Local Agencies and Organizations Police Department programs Support
groups Watertown Healthy Youth Coalition Private and/or non-profit
counseling agencies Youth organizations/programs Faith based
community Watertown Family Resource Directories are available that
list many helping agencies/organizations in the community. Slide 28
Over 70% of children say parents are the leading influence in their
decision to drink or not. Parents do make a difference! Thank
you!
