Going back to school signifies a time of new beginnings -- new notebooks, classes, and friends. It can also be a time of new challenges for many young people when it comes to drugs. Every day, approximately 4,700 American youth ages 12-17 try marijuana for the first time.
But that doesn't mean there's nothing parents can do. Research shows that involvement in supervised activities during the school year lowers a teen's risk of using marijuana and other illicit drugs. In fact, according to the National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health, teens who participated in two or more youth activities in the past year were 40 percent less likely to have used an illicit drug in the past month as other teens.
Parents should also watch for warning signs of drug use by their teen, such as struggles in the classroom. Students with an average grade of "D" or below were more than four times as likely to have used marijuana in the past year as youths who reported an average grade of "A." Parents should also know that teens with particularly negative attitudes about school are two and a half times more likely to have used marijuana in the past year than youth with positive attitudes towards school.
Other warning signs of marijuana use include acting distant from family or friends, hanging out with a different crowd, lack of interest in personal appearance, or dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits.
Marijuana is more harmful than some parents think. Marijuana can be addictive and lead to a host of health, social and behavioral problems at a crucial time in kids' lives, when their bodies and brains are still developing. Marijuana use damages lungs, impairs learning, and decreases motivation. Kids who use marijuana in early adolescence are more likely to engage in other risky behaviors.
The good news is that parents make a difference in their teen's decision to stay drug-free. Two-thirds of kids say that upsetting their parents or losing the respect of family and friends is one of the main reasons they don't smoke marijuana or use other drugs. Parents can also help keep their kids drug-free by monitoring where they are, who they are with and setting rules with clear consequences for breaking them.
Two thirds of parents would ask their teenage son or daughter to take a home drug test as a means of keeping them away from drugs, according to a nationwide survey of 2,064 U.S. parents.
"This survey underscores that parents realize the importance of early communications with their children and are open to the use of a home drug test to keep their children safe and drug free," stated Debbie Moak, co-founder of notMYkid, a national non-profit organization devoted to drug abuse prevention.
"We believe that fostering greater communication between parents and their children coupled with utilization of a home drug test are the keys to preventing drug abuse and addiction," she added.
The survey conducted October 19-22, 2006, also found that 86 percent of parents of 12- to 18-year-olds have pointed discussions with their teen about the perils of illicit drugs on a weekly or monthly basis. However, only about 50 percent of parents talk about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, an alarmingly growing trend among teens.
According to a 2005 survey conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, roughly one in five teenagers, or 4.3 million teens, has abused a prescription painkiller to get high and 1 in 11 has abused over-the-counter products, like cough medicines.
The notMYkid survey also shows that about one quarter of parents either have not had discussions with their child about drugs or did not begin discussions until their child was in high school.
The survey is part of notMYkid's activities around Red Ribbon Week, an annual drug abuse awareness week that ran through October 31 aimed at school children, parents and teachers.
The notMYkid organization also recently launched Project 7th Grade, a family-oriented prevention initiative that helps parents achieve an early and ongoing dialogue with their children about substance abuse, incorporating drug testing as a cornerstone of deterrence.
First Check Diagnostics, which manufactures a home drug test, has committed $1 million in funding and product to the national rollout of Project 7th Grade.
"The sole aim of notMYkid and Project 7th Grade is to raise awareness among parents that teen drug use and abuse is a significant problem and that there are resources available to help keep their children away from drugs," said Moak, who co-founded the organization with Steve Moak, after living through the pain of drug abuse within their own family.
For more information on drug testing call (203) 710-5416 or visit Connecticut Drug Test Services
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For more information regarding a speaker on one of the topics listed please contact SCCRAC at (203) 776-1981 or sccrac@yahoo.com
Connecticut Drug Test Services offers in-home drug testing programs for teens. Their mission is to help educate parents and children alike, as well as to provide the tools necessary to prevent and deter substance abuse amongst children and teens.
The program fosters communication between parents and children and aims to strengthen the parent-child bond that is the vital ally in the batal against the pressure our youth encounter on a daily basis.
The compnay provides a highly reliable home drug testing program to parents who are concerned that their children may be using drugs.
In addition to the test, they provide education for parents. It is extremely important that parents become familiar with the signs of drug abuse, types of drugs teenagers are abusing and the long term effects.
Most importantly, they also provide resources for help to parents, including information on therapists, counselors, detox and treatment centers.
This program is beneficial to helping parents identify drug abuse and helping their children get back on the right track.
A drug testing package contains:
* Urine based drug test that detects the 10 most commonly used drugs
* Saliva based alcohol tests
* Educational manual on drugs, their long-term effects and signs of abuse
* How to administer the test without the child's knowledge
* Family pledge (contract between parents and child)
* List of local treatment centers, therapists, counselors and detox facilities
For more information call (203) 710-5416 or visit Connecticut Drug Test Services
Adult Education programs are free to Connecticut residents aged 16 and older who are no longer enrolled in a public school. Instructional programs include basic literacy skills, English language acquisition, citizenship and secondary school completion including preparation for the high school equivalency exam (GED).
The primary aim of the General Educational Development (GED) testing program in Connecticut is to provide a second opportunity for individuals to obtain their high school diplomas. The GED Test documents the foundation skills (problem solving, communication and computation) necessary for GED graduates to advance in postsecondary education and learn job specific skills. The GED tests reflect the major and lasting academic outcomes of a four-year program of study with an increased emphasis on workplace and higher education skills reflected in the context of the test items.
The GED Tests measure knowledge in five different areas:
Language Arts - Writing Skills
Part 1 - Multiple Choice Section
Part 2 - Writing an Essay
Social Studies
Science
Language Arts - Reading
Mathematics
For more information contact the State of Conn. Dept. of Education - Bureau of Career and Adult Education at (860) 807-2110/2111 or visit State of Conn. Dept. of Education - Bureau of Career and Adult Education for more information about:
Eligibility Requirements
Application Procedures
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2002 Series GED Test Passing Standard
2002 Series GED Test Item Information
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GED Test: Be Prepared
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