Peer Pressure is What Made Me Use Drugs and Alcohol (INTERVENE @ DrugFree.org)

"As a young girl, two of the more traumatic things I went through were growing up with an alcoholic parent and my parents’ divorce. I tried to stuff the void I experienced with drugs and alcohol.  I never even considered the idea that I might become an alcoholic or drug addict, and I swore to myself that I would never end up like my father.  However, as I would later find out, the cards were stacked against me.  My family’s long history of drug and alcohol addictions played a huge role in where I ultimately ended up. The lifestyle itself was so familiar to me that it didn’t even register that I wouldn’t be able to stand up to the pressure to succumb to it."

Read the full post: http://intervene.drugfree.org/2009/12/peer-pressure-is-what-made-me-use-drugs-and-alcohol/

The messages just keep coming...

The more and more we search the 'net and blogs, we keep coming across a very universal message when it comes to teens: parental involvement matters.  Whether it's about teen pregnancy prevention, substance abuse prevention or a variety of other topics, parents - your voice matters!  Below are links to a few articles about the influence parents have.  Want to know more about what you can do as a Maine parent or caregiver?  Find Out More, Do More at MaineParents.net

 

From Child Trends
Parents Matter: The Role of Parents in Teens' Decisions about Sex
"Positive parent-teen relationships, high parental awareness and monitoring of whom their children are with, and family dinner routines are all linked to delayed sex among teens, according to a new Child Trends research brief.  The brief, Parents Matter: The Role of Parents in Teens' Decisions about Sex, explores how parenting practices that occur before adolescents have had sexual intercourse are associated with the probability of first sex by age 16."

From CESAR FAX
Students With Parents Who Set and Enforce Clear Rules

Less Likely to Report Illicit Drug Use
"Youths whose parents set clear rules for them are less likely to report using illicit drugs, according to data from the 2008-09 PRIDE Survey. Middle and high school students* whose parents set clear rules for them “a lot” or “often” were less likely to report using illicit drugs in the past year (12% and 21%, respectively) than students whose parents never set clear rules (49%)."

From CASA's Family Day
The Power of Parenting
"Whether you’re cooking a gourmet meal, ordering food from your favorite take-out place or eating on the go, rest assured that what your kids really want during dinnertime is YOU! Family meals are the perfect time to talk to your kids and to listen to what’s on their mind.  The more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs."

From The Int'l Journal of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity
Parental influences on adolescent physical activity: a longitudinal study
"Strategies to promote physical activity among adolescents should focus on increasing levels of family cohesion, parental engagement, parent-child communication and adolescent self-esteem."

Can texting bring teens, parents closer 2gether?

(Hat tip to YPulse Essentials Blog)

Lisa Schnecker, Salt Lake (UT) Tribune)

Traditionally, asking teens to do chores has been a tricky venture.

But when Paula Fox asked her 15-year-old daughter to unload the dishwasher recently, her daughter simply replied "fine." No attitude. No sulking -- at least not any that Fox could see. The exchange was brief and simple.

It was done via a cell phone text message.

"It's way easier to do over a text than when I ask her to do it person," said the Salt Lake County mom. "I don't get the rolled eyes or have to hear 'I know, Mom.' Maybe there's a little bit of avoidance there, but it works for both of us."

While many worry the rise of text messaging will lead to the downfall of social skills and relationships, some say it can actually help parents and teens connect. At an age when many kids give their parents the cold shoulder, texting can actually lead to more communication and help diffuse tense situations, said Alyson Schafer, a Toronto-based psychotherapist and author of several parenting books.

"It doesn't detract from our face-to-face interactions," Schafer said. "I see it as being additive and enhancing the existing relationship. [The teen years are] when we know they need the most parental support and communication tends to break down." READ ON...

FMI about connecting with teens visit: www.maineparents.net or the Partnership for a Drug Free America at www.drugfree.org

The Strength to Intervene (PDFA Decoder)

Janice Lynch Schuster: “I insisted that first one child and then another be admitted to a substance-abuse recovery program, a residential program that specializes in treating children, like mine, who are alcoholics and drug addicts. Just writing that is painful and foreign; it is as difficult as speaking in the snake’s tongue. The language of addiction is full of loss — lost opportunities, lost lives, lost potential, lost families, lost time. Now both children are in what is called recovery — they have been clean and sober, one for about eight weeks and the other for scarcely more than two.”

From Joe Keenan at The Partnership for a Drug-Free America: "For those of you who can relate to Schuster’s story, I highly encourage you to check out Intervene, our newly launched blog here at the Partnership. We’re so proud of Intervene because it’s more than just a website – it’s a supportive community of parents and caring adults concerned about a beloved teen or young adult’s drug use. Right now, we have some very inspiring guest bloggers posting, including two authors with new books out and one wonderful woman who has been running marathons all over the world to raise funds and awareness for drug addiction and treatment."

Intervene: A Community for Parents Concerned about their Teens' Alcohol & Drug Use ~ www.intervene.drugfree.org

20th Annual PATS Report (PDFA): Teen Drug Use & Attitudes

This year, PATS showed that 37 percent of teens reported "learning a lot" about the risks of drugs from their parents in 2008 - a significant 16 percent increase over the previous year, and the first major increase since the inception of the study. But despite the increase in parent-teen discussions, just 24 percent of teens report that their parents have discussed the dangers of abusing prescription (Rx) drugs and only 18 percent of teens say their parents discuss the risks of abusing over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine.

Red Flag: Parents Still Not Discussing Abuse of Prescription and Over-The-Counter Medicines

Despite the increase in parent-teen discussions, only 24 percent of teens report that their parents talked with them about the dangers of prescription (Rx) drug abuse or use of medications outside of a doctor’s supervision; just 18 percent of teens say their parents discuss the risks of abusing over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine.

Read More from the Partnership for a Drug Free America's Report

Shouting Inside: Whispers in the Roar

This unique website is dedicated to the voices of teens with parents who have alcohol or drug problems.

"Do you have a story of your own about a parent who has a problem with alcohol or drugs? Do you feel like you’re shouting inside but just want to get it out? Then these blogs are for you – to connect with others who have similar experiences. Check out how other people deal with a mom or dad who drinks too much or has a drug problem. You aren’t alone and now you don’t have to keep shouting inside."

Time To Act

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has launched yet another fascinatingly-accessible tool for parents seeking resources for teens regarding substance abuse prevention. The PDFA's latest effort is for 1) Parents who THINK their child is using and 2) Parents who KNOW their child is using.

http://timetoact.drugfree.org/

This new site offers interactive options such as video segments from leading doctors and psychologists, 'signs and symptoms' checker, risk factors (family, school, peer), mock situations teens are likely to find themselves in, as well as common misperceptions about alcohol & drug use. There are also checklists for parents, tips on how to handle conversations, setting limits, monitoring and seeking outside help.

Check it out or visit our timetotalkportlandmaine on Yahoo! Groups to JOIN THE DISCUSSION with Cumberland County parents and adults!