Parent Resources
The Parent Toolkit: A Drug & Alcohol Prevention Resources For Parents
The following website provides useful information regarding drugs and alcohol to parents, grandparents, relatives or anyone who is around children or teens including:
- Drug Guide-learn the facts to keep teens safe
- Grandparents Guide on how they can help their grandkids be drug-free
- Testimonies from other parents
- How to get help if you child is using; intervention guides
- Parent Toolkit
Toolkit How-Tos:
- How to Prevent Drug Use at Every Age
- How to Better Understand Your Teens
- How to Connect With Your Kids
- How to Protect Your Kids
- How to Spot Drug & Alcohol Use
- How to Help If They Are Using
- How to Help in Your Community
If you need to speak with someone about your child's drug or alcohol use please call the Parents Toll-Free Helpline. The Parents Toll-Free Helpline, 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373), is staffed by clinical social workers with practical experience in substance abuse prevention and treatment. It is sponsored by the Partnership for Drug Free Kids and can be used to obtain advice regarding youth or adults.
Visit the Parent ToolkitVisit Drug Free Action AllianceKnow! Parent Alert - Cough Syrup Abuse
In this Know! Parent Alert we are warning moms, dads and other caregivers about youth getting high on cough syrup. While young people abusing cough medicine is nothing new, is seems to have grown again in popularity, with one in 10 teens partaking nationwide.
So what exactly is in this purple drink and what makes it so appealing? It is prescription-strength cough syrup (codeine and promethazine – which also causes the purple hue) that is typically mixed with sprite or other soda and a Jolly Rancher candy (to mask the bitter flavor of the cough syrup); said to provide the user with a relaxed, euphoric high.
It is vitally important to talk to your children about the dangers of misusing or abusing prescription drugs of any kind, even those that appear to be less harmful, like cough medicine. Youth should also be aware that it is illegal for anyone to use another person’s prescription cough medication, whether to treat an actual cough or for recreational use, and there can be legal consequences to accompany the potential physical and mental health consequences. Parents, you can also do your part by safeguarding and monitoring all prescription and over-the-counter medications in your home, and regularly disposing of your unused and unwanted medications.
Know! The Link Between ADHD & Substance Abuse
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.
The Medicine Abuse Project
Two-thirds of teens who report abusing prescription medicine admit to getting them from friends, family and acquaintances. Educating yourself and talking to your child about medicine abuse is essential – but there’s more you can do.Safeguarding your prescriptions is a must. This will not only prevent your own teen, but his or her friends who come over, from taking drugs out of your medicine cabinet or kitchen.So where do you keep your meds? Here are five things you can do at home to protect your medicines that can make a huge difference in keeping your family safe.
- Treat them like your best watch or necklace. Think about medicine in the same way you do jewelry or other valuables. There’s no shame in protecting those items, and the same should hold true for your prescriptions and cough medicine.
- Take them out of the medicine cabinet or kitchen. While convenient, the medicine cabinet or kitchen are obvious and easily accessible locations; so keep your medicine in a place that only you know about.
- Lock them up. Consider keeping your medicines in a lock box or a safe – and don’t share the key or combination.
- Count, monitor and dispose of them. Take an inventory of all of the medicine in your home - and dispose of what you don't need. The next National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative is scheduled for April 26th.
- Tell relatives to do the same. Once you’ve taken the above precautions, it’s time to tell others about doing the same – especially grandparents, relatives and the parents of your teen’s friends. A quick chat can go a long way.