Raising Healthy Kids

Ohio Coalition Receives Grant vs. Teen Party Drinking

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on February 4th, 2012

The Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County received $2,000 from the Drug Free Action Alliance, which will be used towards efforts made to fight underage drinking.

Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinkingThe Coalition is one of 22 organizations based in Ohio to receive such a grant, which is given out in order to bring down the number of teen alcohol parties hosted by parents. Over the past 20 years, the Coalition for a Drug-free Clermont County has worked with the community to promote drug-free environments for the youth, and raise awareness regarding the angers of abusing alcohol and drugs.

The grant money will be used by the Coalition for education and awareness activities on drug and alcohol abuse in the spring, to coincide with the high school graduation and prom season.

The program “Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking” was developed by Drug Free Action Alliance. The program, which is recognized nationwide, raises awareness among parents regarding the health and safety risks associated with underage drinking, as well as underage drinking laws in the state of Ohio. Serving as Honorary Chair for the program is college basketball commentator and former NBA superstar Clark Kellogg.

Funding for the “Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking” program is available with support from the Ohio Department f Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, as well as the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

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Best Defense Against Teen Alcohol Abuse: Educating Kids

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on December 30th, 2011

One of the many reasons why kids get into the alcohol habit is the lack of information that parents should have provided about the addictive and dangerous substance. Alcohol education should start early, even before children are old enough to drink.

teen alcohol abuseTo talk about alcohol during the adolescent stages of children, parents can choose from among the many ways or approaches on how to deal with the subject, depending on where they can be most comfortable with.

It’s best to start by setting your expectations from your kids and explaining why you do so. Teenagers are very inquisitive, and telling them what to do and what not to do won’t be enough. You have got to have underlying reasons that will encourage them to follow the dos and discourage them from the don’ts. This is where family values play the greatest roles.

Remind your kids that not everything they see or hear about alcohol is true. Television ads can be very enticing and can make it hard for them to say no to alcoholic drinks. During their adolescent years, teens have the strongest desire to belong. This is what advertisers capitalize on to sell their products.

Share stories about drunk-driving teens and point out the consequences of these actions. If you have your own learning experiences to share to your kids, don’t be afraid to let them know about it because as a parent, you should be the first person to share important life lessons to them. You don’t need to do it regularly, but at least try to be consistent.

It pays to know your child’s circle of friends and their activities. Teens are often much attached to their peers that sometimes, this attitude could lead them to complicated situations. As the parent, it is your responsibility to keep your child safe, as well as his friends who also have concerned parents like you.

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Program Helps Fight Substance Abuse Among African-American Teens

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on December 20th, 2011

A new program has shown signs of helping in making a difference on alcohol and drug abuse issues, as well as on behavioral problems, among African-American teens.

drug abuseStudy author Gene Brody said that after two years of offering the program to parents and their kids, a new study conducted on participants showed that there has been a decrease in the number of drugs and alcohol abuse and in behavioral problems in the targeted population.

“During the high school years is when kids often begin to use drugs and escalate their use of drugs, so it’s really an important time to introduce some prevention programs,” Brody said.

The program is specifically designed for African-American families. Parents and kids are given the opportunity to attend sessions on improving academic performance, resisting peer pressure, dealing with discrimination or racism, and effectively implementing household rules.

As African-American kids aged 16 and their parents go through the program, which consists of five two-hour sessions, they are supported and assisted by caregivers who provide them with tips on good parenting practices and setting rules on alcohol and drug abuse. Teens are taught about self-control and are guided to achieve improved academic standings.

The participants came from rural areas. While it may be true that kids in rural areas have lower drug and alcohol abuse cases compared to their urban counterparts, recent studies have shown that risks are increasing.

Brody confirms that their program is warmly received by their target population. “There was great excitement around the program. These parents realize, there’s not a lot of opportunity to help them or to help their youth develop in a way that’s going to put them on a path to success.”

He is hopeful, despite some financial obstacles encountered, that they could share the program to more parents and kids in other key areas.

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Candid Discussions on Substance Abuse Between Parents and Teens

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on December 4th, 2011

Students from the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School will get the opportunity to bare all when it comes to substance abuse issues with their parents.

teen alcohol abuseOn its second year, the “Candid Discussion” event, made possible by the Community Connections group in partnership with the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) L-S Chapter, will take all the barriers when children and parents talk about drugs, alcohol and risky behaviors.

The event will have ten student volunteers chosen by the SADD. Their identities will be kept confidential, even their parents and school authorities will not be able to know who they are. This is what the organization will give them in exchange for their honesty with regards to issues of substance abuse.

The students and parents will be in separate rooms, with the students speaking via a voice modulator to avoid any identification. The volunteers will talk honestly about their lives, their activities, how they deal with relationships, and just about any other teen issue that are hard to discuss in a home setting.

“The only people who know who these kids are the SADD kids who asked them to do it. Even the teachers don’t know. It’s all very confidential, which allows the kids to be honest,” adds Kathy Howd from Community Connections.

“Quite frankly, I think a lot of parents have no clue what’s going on,” Howd said. “And the kids have so many ways, especially with technology, to mislead them.”

Sarah Greely, who teaches at the L-S wellness department and an adviser for SADD, hopes that their initiative will help both parents and kids to discover everything about the truths on substance abuse.

Organizers of “Candid Discussion” made it clear that they aren’t trying to portray teenagers of today as substance abusers or risk takers. They instead want to put kids and parents on the same level when it comes to the issue of drugs and other substances so that both parties will be able to work together in promoting healthy living and safe environments.

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Overindulgent Parents Lead to Teen Substance Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids on November 20th, 2011

A growing concern on parents who spoil their kids is now being discussed by experts especially in the United States. Parents nowadays have the tendency to cling to overindulgence as a means to show their love to their children. These overindulgent parents provide everything their child wants from toys to the latest gadgets and by doing so, they fail to teach their kids the value of hard work to get what they want.

spoiled kidThere are many ways that parents can spoil their kids. By not giving kids regular household chores to accomplish, by not making them wait for the things that they want, and by not setting limits on their activities, parents think they are making their kids happy. What parents don’t realize is that this kind of behavior towards children could lead to dangerous behaviors like substance abuse.

According to experts, two thirds of parents say their kids are not responsible and lack the appropriate manners that children their age should have. Studies have shown that kids who are given everything they want become adults faster, and they will reach a point of difficulty in dealing with life’s challenges which could lead them to substance abuse and other inappropriate behaviors. Psychologists have confirmed that overindulgent parents become the key for their children to head towards the wrong path in life.

The American Academy of Pediatrics say parents nowadays don’t have enough quality time to spend with their kids. This is why they choose to compensate for the lack of time by giving in to every whim that their children have. In order to avoid complicated relationships with their children, they simply say ‘yes’ to everything.

What is important is that parents learn how to balance between love and discipline to raise good children.

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Kings County Judge Helps Drug-Addicted Parents

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Treatment, Raising Healthy Kids on November 9th, 2011

Presiding Juvenile Court Judge George Orndoff and his staff were recently given recognition for playing an active role in solving substance abuse issues. The state Assembly honored Judge Orndoff and his team for helping drug-addicted parents who are faced with the possibility of losing their kids due to their addiction through the Family Drug Dependency Court.

Judge George OrndoffJudge Orndoff believes that every child should be put under a parent’s care. “Our goal here is to reunify the family and keep the kids with their biological parents. The question is: How do you put a kid back into a home where the parents use methamphetamine?”

This he does by encouraging parents to get into rehab to address any problems that may have led them to become drug dependents. Judge Orndoff visits the Kings County Probation Department every week to check on the recovery status of those under the program. He and the members of his team identify cases which are making great progress and closely monitors those which need a little more of the push.

The Juvenile Court Judge says that honesty is a key to one’s recovery. Although most addicts may deny that they have problems, getting them to admit their troubles in a large group would somehow make it real to them.

The Family Drug Dependency Court started its operation last April 1 and while it hasn’t been in existence long enough to determine its efficacy on drug abuse and addiction problems, it only reported two failed cases, so far, from the original 14 members under the program.

The award received by the group gave them more reasons to continue their advocacy. Judge Orndoff says he only wants a few things for their endeavor. “… I just want the program to be successful, to give these people a chance to have a job and a family. … Helping these people is what’s important to me.”

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