What can a caring parent do to help their child grow up drug free?

1. Walk the Walk.  Be a role model of the person you want your child to become.
2. Be absolutely clear with your child that using illegal drugs or abusing prescription drugs is out of the question.  Explain your family’s values related to drug use.  Speak often of the dangers of drugs and the fact that their use would drastically damage their ability to be the successful person you know they can be.
3. Create rules and discuss in advance the consequences of breaking them.  Don’t make empty threats or let the rule breaker off the hook.
4. Set a curfew and stick to it.  Know where your child is at all times.
5. Call the parents whose home is to be used for a party.  Ask about adult supervision.  If you are not satisfied with the answers, tell your child they are not allowed to attend the party.
6. Make it easy for your child to get out of a situation when they are offered drugs. Repeatedly practice with them ways to say no.  Tell them that they call you to give them a ride home at any time if they do not feel safe, and tell them they are doing the right thing and would not get in trouble for it.
7. Teenagers whose parents talk to them regularly about the dangers of drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than teens whose parents don’t, yet only  one in four teens report having those conversations.

Are you concerned that your son or daughter or their friends might be either using illegal drugs or abusing prescription drugs?  Here are some of the warning signs:
- Bloodshot eyes
- Moodiness or unusual behavior
- Change in sleeping habits – either sleeping more or less
- Change in friends or spending habits
- Isolation/depression/loss of motivation or on the other extreme: agitation and restlessness
- Drop in grades
- Drug paraphernalia – either as pictures decorating their room or as personal belongings

The presence of one or two of these signs may not mean that your child has started to experiment with drugs.  They could mean there is a different kind of problem or no problem.  However, if you see any of these signs, dig a little deeper.  Talk to your child to try to understand what is going on.

If you find out that your child has begun experimenting with drugs, be courageous enough to get help immediately.  Talk to your doctor; call the California Youth Crisis Line (1-800-843-5200) and definitely wait until your child is sober then have a heart-to-heart talk with them. Your child will need a great deal of love and firm discipline from you to get back on track.

www.theantidrug.com is a website that is rich in ideas and resources for parents to use if they want to learn more about preventing drug use or if they have a child that they suspect has already started to experiment.