Know! To Maximize Your Parent Power

Talking regularly with kids about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs reduces their risk of using.

Know! To Maximize Your Parent Power

Youth surveys reveal that the number one reason young people give for choosing not to use alcohol or other drugs is that they do not want to disappoint their parents. With this in mind, Know! encourages parents to increase conversations with children about the dangers of substance use.

In order to take full advantage of our parent power, we must: be informed on the issues; be clear on where we stand when it comes to underage drinking, smoking and using other drugs; and we must foster and strengthen communication with our children.

Follow these Ten Tips to Boost Parent/Child Communication:

1. 1. Get in the habit of chatting about the everyday stuff with your child before jumping into potentially intense conversations.
   2. Demonstrate your genuine interest in what your child has to say by listening with your full attention.
   3. Be respectful of your child's feelings and viewpoint, even when you do not necessarily agree. He/she will then be much more likely to return the favor.
   4. Choose your words carefully and be aware of your body language. If you show shock or disgust by what your child has shared, you will have ended the conversation.
   5. Be mindful of your tone of voice. It's not just what we say, but how we say it.
   6. Avoid interrupting and lecturing. These are also proven conversation busters.
   7. You must know the facts about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and share them truthfully.
   8. Skip the scare tactics. According to prevention experts, they are not effective.
   9. Take advantage of teachable moments: For example, you are in the car with your child, with the radio on. You've got a captive audience, so try talking about that alcohol ad you both just heard.
   10. Last but not least, control your emotions. If the talk gets heated and you display anger, your child is likely to go into fight or flight mode...neither of which will benefit anyone.

It is important to clearly communicate your love for your child and your desire for him/her to make healthy lifestyle choices. As you further establish and strengthen the lines of communication, your child will feel more comfortable to share his/her feelings with you, to ask questions, to seek your advice and guidance and in the end, you will be helping your child to make more positive life decisions; like choosing not to use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs.

For more information visit ChathamDrugFree.org

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Know! To Set Family Goals for the New Year

Talking regularly with kids about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs reduces their risk of using.

Know! To Set Family Goals for the New Year

January rolls in like a breath of fresh air. The calendar is reset, and in many regards, it is a chance to begin anew and an opportunity to do things “better” moving forward. The New Year is also an ideal occasion for parents and children to come together to set fresh goals as both a family unit and as individuals.

As you consider potential objectives for 2014, we challenge you, as a family, to come up with ways to make this a more meaningful, more impactful year.

Start by gathering your household members and briefly reflect on how all of you functioned as a family the past 12 months. Ask each person to share some positives, things that you’ll want to continue to do in 2014, as well as things that did not go over so well, and will need to be improved upon.

Even if your family proves to be in good shape, there’s always room for improvement. Some ideas just about every family can incorporate include:

Argue Less, Talk More (and practice Active Listening): Open (or strengthen) the lines of communication between you and your children. Be sure to regularly cover the big stuff (like the dangers of underage drinking, smoking and other drug use), but don’t forget the everyday chats (to know what’s happening in your children’s daily lives).

Eat Dinner Together as a Family Often (at least four nights a week - when possible): It doesn’t need to be anything fancy or expensive; it is the sitting down together and connecting that matters. Research shows that kids who eat dinner with their families not only get better grades, but are less likely to engage in teen smoking, drinking or other drug use.

Create a 2014 Family Bucket List: Ensure more time for family fun by creating a list of activities you want to do as a family. Get active together, plan a road trip, take on a new family hobby. It doesn’t have to be over-the-top, super time-consuming or expensive to be fun. The idea is to spend time together and enjoy each other.

Strive for Balance on the Calendar: Staying active is essential, but try not to over-commit yourself or your family. Over-committing equals worn out, stressed-out kids and adults, which does no one any good.

Families are made up of individuals, and it is also important for each family member to set personal goals for the New Year. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages adolescence to focus their personal goals on helping others through community service, taking more responsibility for their actions, taking better care of their bodies, dealing with conflict and stress in more healthy, positive ways, and resisting alcohol and other drugs.

As you talk through your family and individual goals for 2014, be sure to write it down, hang it up and refer to it often (that way it won’t be forgotten when the novelty of the New Year wears off).

Sources: Brown, Laura Lewis: Making New Year’s Resolutions with Your Child, PBS. Ellis, Kori: Simple Resolutions for Families, She Knows Parenting. American Academy of Pediatrics.

For more information visit ChathamDrugFree.org

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KNOW! To Shatter the Myths of Drug Abuse

Talking regularly with kids about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs reduces their risk of using.

KNOW! To Shatter the Myths of Drug Abuse

When it comes to drugs and drug abuse, youth receive an abundance of misinformation from television, the internet, movies, music and peers. That’s why January 27th through February 2nd is being honored as National Drug Facts Week; a health observance for teens that aims to shatter the myths and share the truth about drugs and what they can do to one’s brain, body and behavior.

Take “Molly” for example, a drug that is all the rage among party-going teens. Molly gained much of its popularity from songs by various music artists including Madonna, Miley Cyrus and Kanye West - to name a few. For most parents, hearing a song about “Molly” would not signal a red flag. But the fact is, it should.

The word on the street is that Molly is a kinder, safer way to get high, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

So who exactly is this Molly character and what is she capable of?

• Molly is the powder or crystal form of MDMA, which is the chemical also used in Ecstasy, that produces a high.
• Molly comes in tablets, capsules or colorful pills (which sometimes have cartoon-like images on them) and typically sells for between $20 to $50 a dose.Molly is a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted use in medical treatment.
• Many people believe Molly to be the pure form of Ecstasy, but in truth, this drug tends to get mixed with a variety of other components, from talcum powder to Heroin. What is truly being ingested by the user is dangerously unknown.
• Molly is typically taken for the euphoric high and feelings of extreme alertness it can produce. But, many people don’t realize that some users will instead experience feelings of sadness, anxiety and depression from the drug (and this can last up to a week or longer for regular users).
• Other side effects of Molly include muscle cramping, nausea, blurred vision, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and in some cases, seizures, hyperthermia and even death.

You are encouraged to use the observance of National Drug Facts Week as yet another opportunity to increase your knowledge and talk with your children about the dangers of drugs and drug abuse. For more information about underage substancew abuse prevention visit www.ChathamDrugFree.org

Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), The Partnership at Drugfree.org, USA Today: Old Drug Making a Comeback as Molly, January 2014.

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ADHD and Substance Abuse

Talking regularly with kids about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs reduces their risk of using.

Childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) places both boys and girls at an increased risk for teenage substance abuse (according to a large-scale study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences).

The study revealed that compared to their non-ADHD peers, children with the disorder are more likely to:

• Use one or more substances during their teen years;

• Smoke cigarettes on a daily basis;

• Experience marijuana abuse or dependence as an older teen;

• Meet criteria for having a substance abuse or dependence disorder.

* Note: Teen alcohol use remains high for those with or without childhood ADHD.

Experts believe that many of the personality traits and other characteristics commonly found in children with ADHD also contribute to the onset of substance use such as thrill-seeking behaviors, impulsivity, academic struggles, trouble maintaining healthy friendships and sleep issues.

For those of you whose child or children have ADHD, you are called to be hyper-vigilant in your substance abuse prevention efforts; ramping up the quality and quantity of your anti-alcohol and other drug talks; making clear your expectations for non-use and the consequences should it happen; being consistent in discipline and follow-through; taking extra care to monitor your child’s whereabouts and with whom they are spending time; and making a concerted effort to get to know your child’s friends and their parents.

Just because a child has ADHD, that does not guarantee he or she will have alcohol or other drug issues as a teen. The key is to be aware of the link between the two, to step-up your prevention efforts if your child does has ADHD, and to seek professional help if you feel your child may have the disorder. Too many young adults with ADHD go undiagnosed and untreated and end up struggling in different aspects throughout their lives. This can lead to depression and anxiety, as well as self-medicating with alcohol or other drugs; furthering the cycle of substance abuse.

Sources: Science Daily: Featured Research - Large study shows substance abuse rater higher in teenagers with ADHD, February, 2013. WebMD ADHD and Substance Abuse

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Know! Your Family History and Share it!

Most families are well aware and proud to point out the talents and passions that have been passed on from generation to generation (athletic ability, musical gifts, artistic skills, etc.). Most are also well aware of specific health issues that run in the family (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.), and many are conscientious o not only share such information with their children, but to encourage by example, healthy behavioral choices to avoid them. But how often do people talk about their family’s history of alcohol dependency? And how many of those with family history are aware of the increased risk of younger generations also developing alcohol problems?

While there are a number of factors that determine a person’s risk associated with alcoholism, there is strong evidence that genetics play a role. Does that mean that the child of an alcohol dependent parent is destined to be an alcoholic? Absolutely not; but it does mean that child’s risk for developing a problematic relationship with alcohol is increased.

The biological child of an alcoholic is between four to nine times more likely to develop an alcohol addiction at some point in his/her life. Whether the child is then raised by the alcohol dependent biological parent, an adoptive parent or other caregiver, his/her risk for alcoholism remains nearly the same, with about one in four children of alcoholics
also developing the disease. In cases where the child’s biological family history includes multiple relatives with alcoholism, the risk increases even further.

PARENTS: For children whose family history includes alcohol addiction, there are proactive steps you can take to help reduce their risk of also developing the disease:

Fill them in: Make sure they are aware that alcoholism or problems with alcohol is a part of their family’s health history, just like other diseases that run in families. Let them know that due to the nature of alcoholism and the fact that it is partially genetic, they are at increased risk of developing the disease.

Set the record straight: Children with a family history of alcohol problems need to know that while they may be at increased risk, they are not predestined. In the end, it comes down to the lifestyle choices they make now and down the road.

Empower them: Talk with them about ways they can reduce their risk, like delaying the onset of first use until at least age 21. Youth who chose to drink before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol problems at some point in their lives. For children with a family history of alcoholism, the risk increases even further. For some however, alcohol at any age or in any amount may never be a good option.

Share expectations: Just like children without a family history of alcoholism, children with such family history need to know exactly where their parents stand on the issue of underage drinking and that it is not taken lightly. It should also be shared that just because a parent or relative has or has had issues with alcohol, it does not give a child an excuse or permission to drink.

For additional support and resources visit: National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA) and/or Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA).

Sources: NIAAA: COGA (the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism), NIAAA: Alcohol Alert Underage Drinking, The Alcoholism Guide, National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA), Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA).

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