Substance Abuse Prevention

Prevention Starts With Parents

There are no guarantees that your child will not choose to use drugs, but as a parent, you can influence that decission by:

• not using drugs yourself.
• providing guidance and clear rules about not using drugs.
• spending time with your child sharing the good and the bad times.

All of these are necessary to help your child grow up free from the problems of drug use.

Ask Yourself A Few Questions

Much of what children learn about drugs comes from parents. Take a few minutes to answer the following questions about your feelings and behaviors about tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.

• Do you usually offer alcoholic drinks to friends and family when they cme to your home?
• Do you frequently take medicine for minor aches and pains or if you are feeling sad or nervous?
• Do you take sleeping pills to fall asleep?
• Do you use alcohol or any other drugs in a way that you would not want your child to?
• Do you smoke cigarettes?
• Are you proud about how much you can drink?
• Do you make jokes about getting drunk or using drugs?
• Do you go to parties that involve a lot of drinking?
• Do you drink and drive or ride with drivers who have been drinking?
• Has your child ever seen you drunk?
• Do you let minors drink alcoho in your home?

Teach Your Child To Say NO

Tell your child exactly how you expect him or her to respond if someone offers her drugs:

• Ask questions ("What is it?" "Where did you get it?")
• Say NO firmly
• Give reasons ("No thanks, I'm not into that.")
• Suggest other things to do (got to a movie, the mall, or play a game)
• Leave (Go home, go to class, join other friends)

Parents can also help their children choose not to use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs in these ways:

• Build your child's self-esteem with praise and support for decisions. A strong sense of self worth will help your child to say no to tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs and mean it.
• Gradually allow your child to make more decisions alone. Making a few mistakes is a normal part of growing up, so try not to be too critical when your child makes a mistake.
• Listen to what your child says. Pay attention, and be helpful during periods of loneliness or doubt.
• Offer advice about handling strong emotions and feelings. Help your child cope with emotions by letting them know that feelings will change. Explain that mood swings are really bad, and they won't last forever. Model how to control mental pain or tension without the use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.
• Plan to discuss a wide variety of topics with your child including alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and the need for peer-group acceptance. Young people who don't know the facts about tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs are at greater risks of trying them.
• Encourage fun and worthwhile outside things to do; avoid turning too much of your childs leisure time into chores.
• Be a good role model by avoiding tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs yourself. You're the best role model for your child. Make a stand against drug issues--your child will listen.

Your pediatrician understands that good communicaton between parents and children is one of the best ways to prevent drug use. If talking to your child becomes a probsubstanclem, your pediatrician provide the key to opening the lines of communication.

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