A Better Understanding of Your Child
Risks Associated with Substance Abuse
Becoming More Involved
Talking with Your Child
Setting Rules and Boundaries

One key to addressing concerns of substance abuse is to make sure you have a good understanding of your child.  Some questions to think about are:

• How are they doing in school?
• Who are there friends?
• What are they interested in?
• What has their exposure to drugs and alcohol been so far?
• What do they need at their age?
• What are they looking for from their parents?

It is important to understand children and where they’re coming from before addressing important issues with them.  Below are some links to information that may help you gain a better understanding of your child.

Understanding Teens
http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_f/f-122.pdf
This document provides information about dealing with common situations that come up between parents and their teenage children.

News For Parents
http://www.newsforparents.org/expert_understanding_teens.html
This website offers information about developmental stages of teenagers and information about what to expect.

Partnership for A Drug-Free America
http://www.drugfree.org/prevent
Here you can find articles and videos on topics such as: Educating Your Child About Alcoholism in the Family, Top 8 Reasons Why Teen Try Drugs and Alcohol, and A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain.

Understanding Your Teenager's Emotional Health
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/parents-teens/590.html

We know that drug and alcohol abuse carries side effects and consequences, its important that we are aware of the specific risks to children from abusing these drugs.  We include information here about both the physical and mental health impacts of drugs, as well as the social and legal consequences.  Each different substance also carries different indicators and risk factors, and information is a key part of prevention and education.

Some of the most prevalent risks to substance abuse for children and teens are:

• Health risks associated with any kind of substance use including: illness, hospital visits, permanent damage and death.
• Legal consequences of using illegal substances or underage use of legal substances including: fines, criminal record, probation, community service, jail, treatment orders.
• Mental health risks such as depression, psychosis, paranoia and other effects.
• School consequences such as bad grades, suspension, expulsion, lost college opportunities

Here are some links to information about the risks associated with drug and alcohol abuse, especially for children and teens:

Draw The Line
http://www.drawyourline.com/
This is a resource for alcohol use among youth and includes information about the physical, mental and legal ramifications of alcohol abuse.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/teens_alcohol_and_other_drugs
An article highlighting risk factors for children and teens as well as some of the negative social consequences of alcohol and drug abuse.

Teens Health
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/steroids.html
An article explaining what steroids are, how they work, and the risks associated with taking them.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/PHD861/
A description of methamphetamines, their abuse, and the effects it can have on teens.

About.com Teen Advice
http://teenadvice.about.com/od/drugsalcohol/tp/drug_facts_hub.htm
This site contains facts about drugs that are abused by teens.

It really can make a difference when you get involved in your child's life. Young people are much less likely to have mental health and substance use problems when they have positive activities to do and when caring adults are involved in their lives. Your involvement and encouragement tell your child that he * and his activities are worthwhile and may help him identify and pursue positive goals as he gets older. Additionally, you will be better able to see changes in your child that may indicate a problem. This section will give you some ideas about ways to become more involved in your child's life.

Kids Health
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/ 
All parents need a little advice now and then. Get the lowdown on parenting basics like discipline, homework help, and how to talk to your child about tough subjects, like sex, tobacco, and alcohol. Plus, find out where you can turn for help and support.

Casa Family Day
http://www.casafamilyday.org/
Family Day: Family Day — A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children™ is a national movement to remind parents that what their kids really want at the dinner table is THEM! Family Day encourages parents to frequently eat dinner with their kids and be involved in their children’s lives. The conversations that go hand-in-hand with dinner help parents learn more about their kids’ lives and helps them to better understand the challenges their kids face.
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University launched Family Day in 2001 after CASA’s research consistently found that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. Family Day is celebrated on the fourth Monday in September.

Parenting IS Prevention
www.parentingisprevention.org
The Parenting IS Prevention program provides accurate information, support, and resources to assist parents and others in raising children to be healthy, drug-free, productive adults. The Parenting IS Prevention Web site provides tips, informational resources, links to local and national organizations, and opportunities for parents to interact.

    Other Parenting Resources

Building Blocks for a Healthy Future
http://bblocks.samhsa.gov/
Building Blocks is an early prevention program for parents and caregivers of 3 to 6 year-olds. It is designed to educate about the basics of prevention in order to promote a healthy lifestyle.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America
http://www.drugfree.org/
The Drug Free America website provides recent news articles, information and resources about drug and alcohol use to parents, children and teens.

Prevent Teenage Drug and Alcohol Abuse
http://www.timetotalk.org/newsroom/
The Time To Talk campaign is put on by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and provides guides and tips for how parents can have important conversations with their kids.

Children Now
http://www.talkingwithkids.org/
This website has information about talking to kids about all kinds of issues, allowing parents to address their children about drugs and alcohol as well as other difficult topics.

    Resources for Kids and Teens

ADOL: Adolescence Directory On-Line
http://site.educ.indiana.edu/aboutus/AdolescenceDirectoryonLineADOL/tabid/4785/Default.aspx
This website provides a list of resources for adolescents about conflict and violence, mental health issues, health and health risk issues, and other topics.

Al-Anon and Alateen
http://www.Al-Anon-Alateen.org/
This website provides information and resources for teens and adults with alcohol abuse problems.

D.A.R.E. Kids
http://www.dare-america.com/index2.htm
This website is directed at children and teens and is related to the DARE campaign to combat drug abuse.

Do It Now Foundation/D.I.N. Publications
http://www.doitnow.org/
An online resource with games, quizzes and information all designed to increase children’s knowledge of drugs and aid in prevention of drug abuse.

In the Mix
http://www.inthemix.org/
This is a PBS produced “reality” show for teens that discusses and displays common teen issues.

Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free
http://www.alcoholfreechildren.org/
This website is for a coalition of members who are committed to reducing alcohol use by children age 9 to 15.

Teen Voices
http://www.teenvoices.com/
Teen voices is a website that has information on a number of issues that are associated with teens and has information and views directly from teenagers on these issues.

Youth Today
http://www.youthtoday.org/
This is a compilation of articles and information about youth and issues that affect them directly.

It’s important to establish and maintain good communication with your child, but at times it can be hard to do.  Between the busy grind of work, school, extra-curricular activities and other events, making time to talk with your children can be difficult to fit in.  Its important to get into a habit of talking with your child everyday though, building a close relationship with young children with make it easier for them to come to you with questions or problems when their older.  Having a close relationship and good communication with your child will make it less likely for them to develop mental health problems and experiment with alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs.

Here are some useful communication tips:

• Start Early.  Kids hear about tough issues at increasingly early ages, often before they are ready to understand all aspects of these complicated ideas. Medical research and public health data tells us that when young children want information, advice and guidance, they turn to their parents first.  As a parent, you have a wonderful opportunity to talk with your child about these issues first, before anyone else can confuse your child with incorrect information or explanations that lack the sense of values you want to instill.
• Initiate Conversations With Your Child. While its important that your children feel comfortable to come to you and talk about anything, sometimes its important for parents to start the conversations.  Children often feel uncomfortable or embarrassed bringing up topics and its often easier for them to talk about important issues when parents are the first to bring them up.
• Communicate your values.  As a parent you have the opportunity to be the first person to talk with your child about tough issues like drugs and violence.  It is important that you not only discuss facts and information, but also instill that values that are important to you into your child.  Children need to know facts, but they also need moral guidance from their parents.
• Listen to Your Child.  It is important that when we talk to children about important issues that we also take time to listen to their concerns.  Let children explain how much they know about a topic and what they want to learn so that you know how to respond.  Also take into account your child’s desire to talk, make sure it’s a good time for them and that you don’t overload them with information.
• Be Honest.  You don’t have to explain everything to your child at a young age, but the answers you do give them should be honest.  This teaches them the importance of honesty and ensures that when they want accurate information about issues in the future you will be a good source of information.
• Talk about it again and again.  Its not enough to discuss a topic one time and then consider the discussion closed.  Over time children might have more experience with a subject or learn more about it themselves, so it’s important to reinforce your values over time and give your child many opportunities to discuss an issue.

Here are some Resources for Communication Tips:

Talk With Your Kids
http://www.talkingwithkids.org/first.html

Kids Health
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/talk_about_drugs.html

American Council for Drug Education
http://www.acde.org/parent/Tips.htm

Aside from parents, a child’s friends are the people they interact with most frequently.  Research shows that if a child’s friends use drugs, they are much more likely to use themselves.  Therefore an important part of parenting is encouraging positive friendships so that children have good role models and a healthy peer group.

Here are some Resources for Encouraging Positive Friendships:

Parenting Teens
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/peerpressure/ht/teenfriendships.htm

How to Encourage Your Teen to Bring Friends Home
http://www.helium.com/items/858352-how-to-encourage-your-teen-to-bring-friends-home

Focus Adolescent Services
http://www.focusas.com/PeerInfluence.html

Setting rules and making boundaries for children can be a difficult part of parenting, its not pleasant or easy to tell your children “no”.  Rules and boundaries can provide stability for children and teens, its important that kids know their parents are taking a stand on an issue so that they have guidance when offers of alcohol and drugs come up in their lives.  If your child doesn’t know where you stand on substance abuse issues, it will be even more difficult for them to make the right decision for themselves.

Here are some tips for setting up rules and boundaries:

• Set clear rules and discuss in advance the consequences of breaking them. Don’t make empty threats or let the rule-breaker off the hook. Don’t impose harsh or unexpected new punishments.
• Be Specific. Make sure your teen knows your exact expectations about alcohol and other drugs.
• The rules must be consistently enforced; every time a child breaks the rules the parent should enforce a punishment.
• Punishments should involve mild, not severe, negative consequences. Overly severe punishments serve to undermine the quality of the parent-child relationship.
• Set a curfew. And enforce it strictly. Be prepared to negotiate for special occasions.
• Have kids check in at regular times when they’re away from home or school.
• Call parents whose home is to be used for a party. On party night, don’t be afraid to stop in to say hello (and make sure that adult supervision is in place).
• Make it easy to leave a party where drugs are being used.  Discuss in advance how to signal you or another designated adult who will come to pick your child up in the moment he or she feels uncomfortable.  Later, be prepared to talk about what happened.
• Use Facts, Not Judgments.  Using punishing or accusatory language with your teen is an invitation for him or her to respond angrily, or not at all.  If you present your child with facts, you obligate him or her to respond to that information, rather than making things personal.
• Listen to your instincts. Don’t be afraid to intervene if your gut reaction tells you that something is wrong.

Here are some other sources for parenting information about setting rules and boundaries for children, especially regarding substance use:

How to Set Boundaries and Rules for Kids.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4804640_set-boundaries-rules-kids.html

The University of Alabama, Parenting Assistance Line (PAL).
http://www.pal.ua.edu/discipline/sa_rules.php

For Parents: How to Set and Enforce Rules About Alcohol and Other Drugs
http://www.getuponit.ca/en/for-parents/parents_enforce

Parents. The Anti-Drug.
http://www.theantidrug.com/advice/safeguarding-and-monitoring/monitoring-skills/make-clear-rules.aspx