Talk To Your Child About Drugs and Alcohol

Kids say their parents are the most important influence when it comes to drugs and alcohol.  So this message needs to start with you. Kids need to hear how risky drug and alcohol use can be.  Don’t wait until your child has a problem. The earlier you talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol, the less likely they will be to use it.  Find a time like driving your child to school or soccer practice and use it as an opportunity to talk.  Tell your kids how drugs and alcohol interfere with concentrating on schoolwork or their ability to play sports.  Explain the legal trouble they can get into and let them know they could lose a job or a scholarship.  Tell them how to stay away from risky situations and what words to use if someone offers them drugs or alcohol.

What You Need to Know

What You Can Do

• Alcohol and drug use adversely affects children/teens by affecting brain development, memory and learning.
• Binge drinkers consume an average of 5.6 drinks at a time and can start in middle school.
• Peer acceptance and no perceived harm are important risk factors in alcohol and drug use.
• Clear parental boundaries, monitoring, and communication are significant factors in preventing underage drinking and drug use.
• Alcohol advertising works!
• Unclear boundaries and inconsistent messages from the community increases risk of use.
• Developmental assets help young people make wise decisions, choose positive paths, and grow up competent, caring and responsible.  The more assets the more developmentally healty they will be.
• All organizations, institutions and individuals in a communty play a role in building assets for youth.
• Be involved in your kid’s lives!

Ask Who, What, When and Where

• Know your child’s friends, what your child is doing, when your child will be home, and where your child is going.
• Eat dinner, listen to music, watch a ball game, do chores toether.
• Set a firm rule of no drug or underage alcohol use by your children.
• You are your kid’s role model. They notice everything you do. Commit yourself to a drug-free lifestyle.
• The hours after school, between 3 and 6 p.m. , are when lots of kids get in trouble.  During summer months, kids have even more free time on their hands.  Try to be with your kids, but if that’s not possible, make sure your child is occupied with an adult around: sports, jobs, clubs, after-school programs or religious youth groups.