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Make a Life-Saving Resolution: Talk to Your Kids about Drugs in 2005
Above all else, moms and dads should resolve this year to talk to their kids about drugs, says Beth Pearce, president of Voice of the Victims.com, an organization she launched in 2002 to encourage and equip parents to have this essential life-saving talk. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has found that 4 million eighth to twelfth graders try drugs each year, and many drug education experts say that kids who talk to their parents about drugs are less likely to use. “Drugs like Ecstasy, Ketamine, GHB and dextramethorphan are more dangerous than drugs of the parents’ generation. There is a greater chance of ER visits, brain injuries and death, so parents shouldn’t let another year go by without discussing this issue with their kids,” Pearce said. Parents need to stop thinking that their children won’t be touched by drugs, Pearce says. “Nearly all the parents I meet who have lost a child to drugs had no idea their child was using, and many non-using kids have died when drugs were given to them without their knowledge,” she said. Pearce also points out that many schools are cutting drug education programs due to budgets shortfalls. “The teachers are doing their best, but they agree that their success will be limited if parents don’t take this responsibility upon themselves,” she said. To help parents successfully carry out this most important resolution, Pearce provides a list of techniques and tools at her Web site, www.VoiceOfTheVictims.com. She also has worked with parents of victims and medical experts to develop a list of signs a child could be using. They include: 1. Sudden drop in grades 2. Changes in spending patterns 3. Lack of interest in previous hobbies 4. Changes in social circles 5. Abnormal discipline problems at school and at home 6. Sudden weight loss If parents know the signs, and have dialog with their kids about drugs, and they still feel there is a problem, Pearce encourages them to seek professional help. The Blue Pages in local phone books have listings of social services that can help, and drug counselors are listed in the Yellow Pages in the drug addiction and psychologist sections. For more information on how parents can successfully resolve to have the drug talk, log onto www.VoiceOfTheVictims.com. |
