Parents
Recommendation #2:
Help children to resist peer pressure to use drugs by supervising their activities, knowing who their friends are, and talking with them about their interests and problems.
When parents take an active interest in their children's behavior, they provide the guidance and support children need to resist drugs. Parents can do this by:
- Knowing their children's whereabouts, activities, and friends.
- Working to maintain and improve family communications and listening to their children.
- Being able to discuss drugs knowledgeably. It is far better for children to obtain their information from their parents than from their peers or on the street.
- Communicating regularly with the parents of their children's friends and sharing their knowledge about drugs with other parents.
- Being selective about their children's viewing of television and movies that portray drug use as glamorous or exciting.
In addition, parents can work with the school in its efforts to fight drugs by:
- Encouraging the development of a school policy with a clear no-drug message.
- Supporting administrators who are tough on drugs.
- Assisting the school in monitoring students' attendance and planning and chaperoning school-sponsored activities.
- Communicating regularly with the school regarding their children's behavior.
Signs of Drug Use