When it comes to effective strategies to prevent youth experimentation with alcohol and other drugs, I know I may sound like a broken record. Nevertheless, I feel called once again to focus on how important it is for parents to engage in an ongoing conversation with their children about this topic. This blog, “Parents = First Line of Defense in Drug Prevention, from  www.candleinc.org, an organization dedicated to substance use prevention, proves the point. Here is a brief excerpt from the blog.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) emphasizes that teens consistently cite their parents as the most important influence on whether they choose to use drugs or alcohol. Open communication and regular discussions—especially ones that are calm, factual, and compassionate—help teens feel supported rather than judged.

I encourage schools and faith-based and community organizations to work with PDFNJ to educate parents and other adult caregivers about recent drug trends and learn about effective preventive strategies to communicate with their kids about substance use and misuse. They can do this by scheduling PDFNJ’s free multi-media program, the 15 Minute Child Break Presentation. As we have been doing for more than 30 years, PDFNJ will continue to promote the critical role parents play in encouraging our youth to make healthy decisions regarding drug use.