Parent School Council Meeting
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
6:00PM - 8:00PM
Raising Healthy Teens
Since 1975 the “Monitoring The Future” (MTF) survey has measured drug, alcohol, and cigarette use of adolescents nationwide. MTF is one of three surveys sponsored by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services that provide government agencies with data on youth substance use trends.
The results released in December 2010 show significant increases in use of Marijuana, Ecstasy and cigar smoking, decreases in cigarette smoking and binge drinking while prescription drug abuse remained stable but very high. 8th graders showed the greatest increase in illicit drug use. For 12th-graders, declines in cigarette use and increases in marijuana use put marijuana ahead of cigarette smoking.
But there is good news because studies show that parenting styles have a strong impact on youth substance abuse. Researchers at Brigham Young University have found that teenagers who grow up with parents who are either too strict or too permissive tend to binge drink more than their peers. The study was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
“Parents have been touted as the keys to preventing alcohol and other drug problems among youth, and research now shows that environmental and genetic risk factors can be trumped by parental engagement during the critical adolescent years,” comments Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
A parent workshop series to help parents learn simple strategies to that will reduce substance abuse risk for their adolescents will be offered on February 15 at 6pm at the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School. “Raising Healthy Teens: A Prevention Program for Parents” is designed to empower parents of students grades 5 through 12 with proven strategies that reduce risk of alcohol and drug abuse.
“Parents have so much more power to mold their children as they grow into healthy young adults. But often we fear that we no longer have much influence on them once they reach adolescence,” says Marilyn Belmonte, Prevention Specialist and the evening’s presenter. “Teens build barriers to keep their parents at a distance. This normal developmental stage during adolescence serves to discourage parents from being involved in their children’s lives. But parents can learn to be their children’s primary drug and alcohol abuse prevention educator.”
Don’t miss “Raising Healthy Teens: A Prevention Program for Parents” on Tuesday February 15 at 6pm at the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School.
