Talk EARLY Talk OFTEN

Get others INVOLVED

Parent Forum – October 22, 2010

What are Your Dreams??

Crushing dreams…

Drugs& Alcohol… Prevention!

Average age?

Experimentation

National average:13

Hiding drug useFrom YOU…

How Long?

Why do Kids Use??

Stress

More freedom

Curiosity

Peer Pressure

Transitions

Environment

Genetics

Personality

What would you do?

Kids & DrugsDrug use triples between 6th – 8th grade

Each day, over 15,000 kids try drugs for the first time (Nationally)

DASIS 2006; BGCA, 2007;NSDUH 2006

So What’s the 411… Local drug trends in and around

Watertown…• What are the kids saying in school?

• What is law enforcement seeing and hearing?

Hot Topics…

Medical Marijuana

OTC & Prescription drugsAlcohol

Other drugs

Generation Rx • 1 in 5 teens will abuse a Rx medication

• Over 60% of teens report ‘easy to getfrom parents’ medicine cabinets’

• Most commonly used Rx pain relievers:– Percocet– Vicodin– Codeine– OxyContin

• OxyContin abuse is leading to an increase in heroin addiction

Partnership for a Drug Free America – 2005 PATS

Alcohol Alcohol• Kids who drink are:–22 times more likely to use marijuana–50 times more likely to use cocaine

NIAAA

Rite of Passage?

Due to stages of brain development, teens are at an elevated risk

Immature Brain May Place Teenagers at Elevated Risk to Effects of Drug Use”) *Watkins, Ellickson, Vaiana, & Hiromoto, 2006

“Window of Sensitivity”

Alcohol AlcoholKills 6.5 times more kids than all other illicit drugs.

By graduation, 66% are regular drinkers, 40% are frequent binge drinkers.

90% of teen drinking is binge drinking.

Alcohol poisoning is equivalent to an overdose.

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Why Marijuana Is NOT A Medicine Don't buy the ”Weed'O'Magic lie!

How many other medicines that people take:• Are smoked? = 0• Come in unmeasured doses? = 0• Have unknown strengths? = 0• Taken as often as patient think needed? = 0• In crude form (aspirin > tree bark, penicillin > bread

mold, etc.)? = 0• Voted on by the public? = 0• Circumvent safety of FDA New Drug Unit testing? = 0• Contain no warnings of harm? = 0• “Recommended” by doctors, not prescribed? = 0• Medical examination NOT required = 0• Exempt from state regulations by the compliance

authorities = 0• Allow a person to grow or produce their own medicine? = 0• Allow some unnamed person to hold patients medicine? = 0

ONE exception would be amazing, but all of them?

U N B E L I E V A B L E !Ed Moses

Drug Paraphernalia

Over 1000 Slang Words for Marijuana

Parent Involvement

“Significant parental involvement” is the most important factor in deterring young

people from using drugs. White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

Talking to your kids about drugs may reduce substance abuse by up to 50%!Partnership for a Drug Free America

…What else can you do besides

talk?

Being aware & observe…DrawingsClothingSlang

Say What?!?!40 or 80………….Abe……………...Adam……………Are you anywhere?Al Capone………Amped………….Back to back……Bagging………...Baker……………Bammy…………Bart Simpson…...Belushi………….Big Harry……….Booted………….

Oxycontin$5 worth of drugs MDMADo you smoke weed?HeroinHigh on MethUsing Heroin then MethUsing InhalentsMarijuana SmokerMarijuana HeroinCocaine and HeroinHeroinHigh

Signs of drug use or typical teen age behavior?

• a drop in grades• isolates from family• poor achievement

• mood up and down • dishonest about whereabouts • dishonest about a lot of things • early cigarette smoking

• change in peer group• draws pot leaves, drugs, or

drug symbols• defiance of authority

• red, watery, or glassy eyes• uses eye drops to hide red eyes • late or unexplained hours • rejection of parental values • have found unexplained

paraphernalia • disappearance of money or

possessions • defensive about drug use • antisocial behavior• loss of interest in previous

hobbies and activities

Five Questions…• How often do you hear people talking about drugs at

school?

• How many of your friends have tried marijuana?

• How easy is it for you to get beer or alcohol?

• What is the most common drug at school?

• When was the last time you saw someone drunk or stoned?

Take Action! • Communicate clearly.

• Start communicating early and often, asking questions.

• Share your family history regarding drugs and alcohol if appropriate.

Take Action! • Get to know your child’s friends, their siblings and

their parents.

• Know your kid’s room and car. No area is off-limits.

• Use a home drug test as a way to prevent, and if need be, intervene earlier in a teen’s drug use.

Local Resources• School Counselors• School Resource Officers• Local Agencies and Organizations

– Police Department programs– Support groups – Watertown Healthy Youth Coalition– Private and/or non-profit counseling agencies– Youth organizations/programs– Faith based community

Watertown Family Resource Directories are available that list many helping agencies/organizations in the community.

Over 70% of children say parents are the leading influence in

their decision to drink or not.

Parents do make a difference! Thank you!