Parents, Take Five on March 5 - Talk to Your Kids About Drugs
2-23-2006
The Ottumwa Substance Abuse Task Force would like to encourage all parents to "take 5 on March 5", take 5 minutes to talk to their children about staying away from drugs. "The research tells us that children, yes - even teens, listen to their parents and look to their parents for guidance, stated Kathy Hasley, Coordinator of the Ottumwa Substance Abuse Task Force. "So please take 5 minutes to talk to your children about drug abuse on March 5. This may be the key to opening the door to better communication with your children. We can get so caught up in our busy lives that we all take each other for granted. Let your child know that you care about them and their healthy future!" stated Hasley.
March 5th has been designated Take Five Day by the Partnership for a Drug Free Iowa. A five-minute conversation now and then can make a huge difference toward keeping your kids away from drugs. For help with what to say, call the Iowa Substance Abuse Information Center toll-free Help Line at 1.866.242.4111, visit www.drugfreeinfo.org or call Hasley at 684-3121.
Some general guidelines:
5-8 Years Old
_ Now is the time to begin explaining what alcohol, tobacco and drugs are. Discuss how anything you put in your body that is not food can be harmful. Explain the idea of addiction, that drug use can become a bad habit that's hard to stop. Praise your children for taking good care of their bodies and avoiding things
that might harm them.
9-11 Years Old
_ Children this age can handle more sophisticated discussion; use their curiosity about traumatic events (such as car accidents or divorces) to discuss how drugs could cause these events. Friends become extremely important at this time, and older children may expose your child to alcohol, tobacco or drugs. Rehearse scenarios in which friends offer drugs. "Upsetting my parents" is one of the top reasons
preteens give for why they won't use marijuana; give them permission to use you as an excuse, such as, "My mom will kill me if I drink a beer!"
12-14 Years Old
_ Adolescence is often a confusing and stressful time as teens try to figure out who they are and how
to fit in. Nearly nine out of ten teens agree that "it seems like marijuana is everywhere these days".
_ Take advantage of a teen's concerns about social image and appearance to point out immediate,
distasteful consequences of tobacco and marijuana use: bad breath, stained teeth, smelly hair and
clothes. Point out that drug use is not only dangerous, but can also lead to broken friendships, even prison.
_ Also point out long-term consequences, such as brain damage, cancer, and the potential for accidents,
coma or death.
15-17 Years Old
_ Older teens have already made decisions about whether or not to use drugs. Now is the time to help
them continue to resist peer pressure. Use specific reasons to reinforce why drugs are bad: addiction, birth
defects, car accidents, prison. These students are thinking about their futures; remind them that drug use could ruin their chances of college acceptance or embarking on their career choice.
For more information, contact Kathy Hasley 684-3121
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