Perhaps you noticed, as I did, the super bowl ad about an out-of-work drug dealer who says his business is down because “kids today are going to their parents’ medicine cabinets” instead of buying from him. I encourage you to click here where you’ll find this ad and other equally powerful public service ads in the new series targeting both parents and kids.

Additionally, they have provided an excellent and creative resource to share in a virtual house tour. It’s very well done, but if your computer won’t allow you to view it, you can download the information in a print document.

The dangers of prescription drug abuse are easy to discount by parents who don’t think their kids are using drugs. But too often parents mis-use drugs and don’t think of it this way. I recently saw an adult friend give his son a prescription medication that had not been prescribed for him. Self diagnosis by non-professionals [ie. parents] is irresponsible. Parents -with the best of intentions- may occasionally allow their kids to use a prescription intended for another person, or to finish pills prescribed from a previous illness. It is precisely this behavior that gives dangerous messages that can lead to prescription drug use and abuse, and even addiction.

The current media is filled with stories of celebrities having major problems with prescription drugs; children of famous public servants suffer from these addictions, as do kids who live down the street and are our children’s friends. This does strike close to home, and it can happen to you. Here are some more statistics about how wide-spread and insidious it is. Please take this issue seriously and be smart about how you manage the prescription medicines in your home.

View the above ad and the house tour,
click here for more resources.. you’ll get the message loud and clear.

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I spoke at the US Dept of Education’s Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse Annual Technical Assistance Conference that was held last week in Albuquerque, N.M. At this gathering of 500 Prevention specialists, educators, administrators etc., there were many helpful discussions about how various communities are finding success in their prevention efforts.

Deborah A. Price, Assistant Secretary, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, U.S. Dept. of Education, noted that successful programs are comprehensive in their approach. This was confirmed and demonstrated in numerous break-out sessions where various communities shared their program details.

“Comprehensive” is the way one would describe the prevention efforts in Helena, Montana. What really impressed me about their approach is the way they engaged leaders across their community in their efforts to minimize alcohol abuse. The Youth Connections Coalition is housed in offices that are located in the school, maximizing their visibility and ability to network with school-related personnel. Additionally, they work with numerous community groups, many of whom sit on their board and contribute time and labor to Coalition efforts.

By presenting a unified front in their community, by networking smartly, and by actively engaging community leaders, the group in Helena has been able to expand their visibility and effectiveness so they are now supported by a variety of local and national funding sources. This small urban community of about 30,000 has 200 volunteers who are involved in supporting the coalition and it’s efforts….that’s an impressive number in any community!

Youth Connections has six part strategy for affecting underage use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs:
• Identify youth with use problems and get them the help they need,
• Collaborate as a community to prevent underage use,
• Provide alcohol free events for youth,
• Educate youth on the problem and solutions for youth,
• Develop policy to limit underage access to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs,
• Share what we know with the whole community.
Here is a link to their website

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The students on the 11-person panel seemed rather “normal” in most ways for this high-achieving school. These kids were on athletic teams, some were in honors courses, active in community service, in the band… they looked like a typical panel of high school students, except they were here to talk about the Youth Risk Behavior Study and what really happens in high school.

I raised my hand and asked “What’s the profile of a substance user (or abuser) here at this school?” They looked around at one another and one of them said “They pretty much look like us.”

In other words, “users” are well disguised because they live in the midst of, and by outward appearance are indistinguishable from, other teenagers.

That got me thinking. So I asked my daughter, eighteen years old at the time, about the profile of a “user.” She immediately said “Popularity.” Wow: her perception is popularity increases one’s chances of using illegal substances.

New data from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) supports this perception with real facts…and if you’re parenting teens or working with them you need to know this.

CASA seeks to identify factors that impact teenage substance abuse, and their August 2007 study reveals some alarming data about the extent of drugs and alcohol in our middle and high schools. They refer to “drug infested” schools where “drug dealing and use, drug possession, and drug or alcohol intoxication are common features of school life.” They compare “drug-infested” and “drug-free” schools in many areas, and in the behavior of “popular” students the differences are quite dramatic. Note:

When you look at the “most popular” teens who attend “drug-infested” schools, the usage rates sky-rocket. Compared to popular teens at drug-free schools, those who attend drug-infested schools and consider themselves to be popular are:

and on it goes. You get the picture….

So, as you contemplate your teenager’s social life, be careful what you wish for. Many an experienced parent will tell you of situations where their kids prefered to stay at home and miss some of the big parties because they simply didn’t want to be put in situations over which they had no control.

Don’t be the parent blindly pushing your kid out the door to make friends or be the popular one. While tuned-in parents can support and help a teen whose social life needs some invigoration, it’s best to listen a lot to what your teen is saying, and don’t push too hard.

The facts shown in the CASA study should make you take pause. “Popularity” can come with some difficult pressures for kids to handle.

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I think the media got it right this time.

Teens and drinking is NOT a cut-and-dried issue…it presents a real dilemma for parents. If you have a high school student, you know this. You know from the sleepless nights, the worries when your teen is out late…you know from that familiar knot in your stomach and the quick sniff you take when he arrives home.

There is no easy way out for parents on this issue; you’re going to have to make some tough decisions and take a stand. Let’s help sort through the issues:

Teens who begin drinking early are also 10 times likelier to be involved in a fight after consuming alcohol, seven times likelier to be involved in a car accident and 12 times likelier to be injured.

The reasons teenagers should abstain from alcohol consumption are well documented and sound.

But in the real world, parents have to worry about the “forbidden fruit syndrome.” Numerous college officials actually support a lowering of the drinking age to allow kids the opportunity to learn how to drink at home. You’ve undoubtably heard the stories of binge drinking on college campuses, and many honest teens will fess up about their over-indulgences when faced with their new-found freedom as college freshmen. Is it best to learn about drinking while under parents’ supervision at home? Only you can decide.

So herein lies the “dilemma” for parents. Will you tolerate alcohol consumption or not? Under what circumstances? At what age? Parents of teenagers must consider appropriate options, and you must include your teenager in your honest discussions. How else will you keep them safe? And how else will you teach them to be smart about alcohol consumption?

This is a complicated issue, and your decisions about the right approach may depend on your teen’s maturity, age and risk profile. And your approach may change as your teenager grows. Here are some additional resources to help you as you evaluate this dilemma:

Newsweek article: The Teen Drinking Dilemma: Should Kids Drink at Home?

Spring Celebrations invite Risky Behavior Assess your teen’s risk profile in this short assessment test, and read some tips for parents.

Freedom from Chemical Dependency offers some resources for parents of middle and high school students.

Watch for my soon-to-be-released report where I’ll share some recommendations for parents from twenty-something young adults about teens and drinking. They will tell you honest communication is key, and YOUR behavior has tremendous impact on teens’ drinking behavior.

I welcome discussion about this important topic here on this blog. Please share your thoughts!

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The arrival of spring brings many opportunities for teens to celebrate at parties, proms and graduations. Parents want their teens to enjoy these special times, but we know that these celebrations can turn deadly in an instant. I’ve prepared a short questionnaire that you can use to assess your teen’s likelihood to engage in risky behavior along with 10 tips to help you keep your teen safe. Click for full story.