According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, the first thing you should do is ASK. This link takes you to the portion of their website that is for parents, with two choices from there – you think your child is drinking or using drugs or you know they are. On this site, you will find tabs addressing the signs to look for, the risk factors, reasons teens use and what you need to know.
The Associated Press reported the 2008 “Partnership Attitude Tracking Study” findings (conducted by this group – Partnership for a Drug Free America) last week, which showed 37 percent of teens surveyed said they had “learned a lot” from discussions with their parents about drugs, up from 32 percent in 2007. You have heard and read it before, parents are the most important influence in a child’s decision to drink or use drugs and if they do, how much and how responsibly. This site will give you much to talk about — even if you don’t suspect your child is drinking or using drugs.
Remember: Talk early. Talk often.
