STUDY SHOWS 26 PER CENT OF STUDENTS HAVE TRIED POT

As parents of children and teenagers, we do what we can to keep them
safe. We buckle them into their car seats, we teach them how to cross
the road safely and we make sure they wear their bike helmets. As they
get older, keeping them safe doesn't get any easier, especially once
they enter adolescence and begin to make their own decisions about
certain issues, including drugs.

So, what can we do when it comes to drugs and our children? We can
start by being honest and talking to our children about them. The fact
is, drugs are an everyday part of our lives. From over the counter
medications like headache pills to cough drops, our children have
learned from an early age that drugs can make them feel better. They
also see tobacco and alcohol used around them, whether that's by
family members or by those they see on television or in the movies.

And they are experimenting themselves. According to the 2005 Drug Use
Among Ontario Students survey, which looked at drug use of the past
year among students in Grades 7 to 12, 62 per cent have drank alcohol,
22.7 per cent report binge drinking and 26.5 per cent have tried
cannabis. More than one quarter of students in Grades 7 to 12 report
being a passenger in a vehicle driven by someone who had been
drinking. And 22 per cent report being a passenger in a vehicle driven
by someone who used drugs prior to driving.

Research shows that young people who have interested adults in their
lives tend to delay experimentation with drugs and alcohol. The longer
that delay, the less likely someone is to develop a long-term
substance abuse problem. Interested adults want to know what kids are
thinking, feeling and doing.

Talking doesn't require any special equipment or training and it
doesn't cost anything, yet talking frankly about drugs can be tough
for many parents. Sometimes we're afraid we won't know the answer to a
difficult or awkward question. Sometimes we're worried we won't have
the right information. Sometimes we're so busy waiting for "the right
moment" that we miss the chance to talk.

Opportunities to talk are all around us. Even a couple of minutes can
make a difference. In the car, during commercials, at half-time or
intermission, over dinner or the dishes... you'll be surprised how
easy it can be to find an opening. Sometimes it can even be a news
story or a scene in a movie that acts as a trigger to a discussion.
And if you don't know the answer, maybe that's the opportunity for you
and your child to find it together.

If most of your opportunities to talk come while you are on the move,
program a list of topics into your cell phone or write notes to
yourself. When the material is at hand, and the moment is there, seize
it. Encourage your children to ask questions about drugs and alcohol
and answer those questions honestly. It takes a little determination
and some practice, but it can be done, and the results are worth it.

For more information about talking to your children about drugs, call
Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 Monday to Friday,
8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and talk with a public health nurse or check the
web site at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.