Tips for parents

Talk early and often about drugs: Drug experimentation starts young, so taking steps to prevent drug use needs to start earlier than most parents would think. Start talking with your child about drugs by third grade. Kids are confronted with decisions about drugs through their adolescence. Therefore, regular discussions are necessary.

Set a positive example and clear expectations: Simply put, children learn by example. You can make your family’s values clear by explaining why you choose a particular course of action and how that choice reflects your values. Kids need to hear your message loud, clear and continually. For example, “In our family, we don’t allow the use of illegal drugs, and children are not allowed to drink alcohol” should be stressed to your children.

Use teachable moments: Every day, parents can take advantage of so-called teachable moments. Seeing someone use drugs on television, hearing drug-related lyrics in a song or reading a headline about drug use can all be starting points for discussion. Take advantage of these examples that are consistently found in mass media and pop culture to initiate a conversation with your child.

Get involved: Know your children’s friends, where your children are going and what they are doing. Start asking questions about what they’ve been up to, and what interests them.

How to get started: You don’t have to do it well — just try. Your kids will get the message that you care about them. If you don’t know how to start the conversation, ask a question. For example, “Have you heard about any kids using drugs?” “What kind of drugs?” “How do you feel about them?” “Why do you think kids get involved with drugs?” Let your child know that you’re there when they need you. And listen. Don’t do all the talking. Read between the lines — you’ll learn a lot about what they think.

Source: Partnership for a Drug-Free America, www.drugfreeamerica.org

To communicate with our reporters concerning this special report, send e-mail to car@detnews.com.