Teen Thinking Web Site Unveiled

The fourteen Kansas communities funded through the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grants to Reduce Underage Drinking in partnership with the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services and the Kansas Department of Transportation launched the Teen Thinking Campaign earlier this month. The campaign message, “Teach them to think, not Drink” can be heard in both TV and public service announcements. The message is also being distributed through billboards, bookmarks, posters, signs, and stuffers (for utility bills, grade cards, etc.) The campaign encourages the public to visit the Teen Thinking website which provides resources for Kansas parents and communities regarding the prevention of underage drinking. To learn more, go to http://www.teenthinking.org/.

KANSAS COMMUNITIES THAT CARE SURVEY 2009

The following report contains the current levels in Douglas County of adolescent substance use, delinquency, violence, as well as, risk and protective levels as reported by adolescents through the Kansas Communities That Care school survey. This assessment is undertaken annually by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services/Addiction and Prevention Services and is used by state agencies, counties, schools and communities in Kansas to monitor the incidence and prevalence of adolescent problem behaviors and the environmental factors that put children at risk or protect them from developing those behaviors. If you would like to see the results of this test, click on the link below. View county, pick a domain and click on the question. You will then see the answer.

Here's an example of what you will see:

If you wanted to get some beer, wine or hard liquor for example, vodka, whiskey, or gin, how easy would it be for you to get some?

Population: 12 grade

Percent Responding: Very Easy 47%

http://beta.ctcdata.org/

http://www.dccca.org/documents/Communities%20That%20Care%20Survey.pdf

HELP! IT'S SUMMER!

Summer is upon us. Our college age children are moving back home. They are used to staying up all night, going to parties and calling their own shots. Our younger kids are out of school. Parents at work and teens at home is precarious at best. We worry about them having time on their hands and temptations to drink, do drugs and engage in the risky behaviors that follow. What are parents going to do to help our Lawrence youth stay busy, healthy and drug and alcohol free? Please leave your helpful comments below.

10 Things Parents Can Do to Keep Their Kids off Drugs and Alcohol

When it comes to teen drug use, an ounce of prevention is worth so much more than a pound of cure. Share these tips with your child and set up a home that is drug and alcohol free for them and their friends.

1. Be there for your teen when he needs to get out of a bad situation. Be the scapegoat: ‘I can’t do that, my parents would kill me!’ Or be the parent who will pick up your teen without repercussions if he finds the party he’s gone to has drugs or alcohol. Set consequences BEFORE your child has to make a choice to use or not.

2. Get to know your teen’s friends and their parents on a first name basis. JOIN THE LAWRENCE PARENT DIRECTORY (see the link on the right). This will help you know what your teen is doing and you may make a good friend to boot! Get those parents together for a discussion on expectations and communication strategies. Our kids are well connected- so too should we.

3. Keep connected in the after school hours. If you can’t be home with your teen, call and leave notes. Have another adult supervise your teen or sign him up for an after school program. If these things aren’t possible, establish a routine for your teenager and keep him busy during this time. Make a plan now for summer activities.

4. Talk to your teen early and often about drugs and alcohol. Use ice breakers from this web site, television shows or the radio in the car. Remember these are conversations, not lectures.

5. Get your teen involved in extra-curricular activities. Schools offer sports or clubs and community organizations offer classes and youth groups. These will help him mold his identity in a positive way and give him less time doing nothing and becoming bored. Studies have shown teens that have less time to just hang out are less likely to do drugs.

6. Ask questions when your teen makes plans to go out. Who will he be with, where is he going, what will he be doing, etc. Then check up on him. Call other parents and do this together. Set a curfew.

7. Be a role model. If you drink, drink responsibly - and don’t ever use illegal drugs. Lock your liquor and medicine cabinets. Keep the temptation away.

8. Unite your family against drugs using strong family beliefs. Establish that your family doesn’t use drugs. Not that you will shun your child should he make a mistake, but that your family believes there are other healthier ways to enjoy life and fix problems rather than escaping into a drug haze. Keep your message consistent, no drugs, no special occasions for underage drinking.

9. Connect with your teen by doing things together as a family. Make this a routine outing and have your teen help plan it. Eat family meals together. Studies have shown that kids who enjoy dinner together with their parents on a normal basis are less likely to become involved with drugs.

10. Drop any baggage you may be carrying. Don’t allow the mistakes you made as a teenager or young adult to influence your teen in a negative way. Tap into the mature adult you’ve become and let the past go. We don't want them saying, "I'm just glad I lived through my teen years!"

Important changes to KU alcohol policies

Marlesa Roney
Vice Provost for Student Success

NEWS RELEASE
May 5, 2009Contact: Jack Martin, University Communications, (785) 864-7100.
KU acts to curb student alcohol abuse
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas will implement a parental notification program for alcohol and drug violations by students under 21 years of age, as well as several other initiatives aimed at educating students about the dangers of abusing alcohol and drugs. Among the changes will be a medical amnesty policy to encourage students to seek help for friends who are having alcohol-related emergencies.
The changes, designed to discourage underage and irresponsible drinking, are effective immediately, accelerated by two student deaths this spring in alcohol-related tragedies. Additional steps are under consideration for implementation before fall classes start.
“Even after students come to college, parents play a major role in their lives,” said Marlesa Roney, vice provost for Student Success. “Studies indicate that parents continue to have more influence than anyone else over the behavior of their sons and daughters. By providing this notification, parents can be a key part of the process to encourage students to make responsible choices.”
Parents and/or legal guardians will be notified after the first known violation of university policy or state law regarding drugs, after the first violation involving alcohol that endangered the health or welfare of the student and/or another person, or after the second known violation of the university alcohol policy.
Notification will also be given following a drug or alcohol violation that results in the cancellation of a student’s housing contract, or if the student has been referred for a second-level alcohol assessment.
“It is my hope that students will not see this as punitive,” said Roney. “This is about using every tool available to help students take responsibility for their actions and to ensure their safety and well being. The University of Kansas wants to help students live up to those responsibilities by making sure their parents are involved in the discussion when students are having difficulties.”
KU also is implementing mandatory alcohol assessments for incoming students, effective with the fall 2009 semester.
“Some students come to college with pre-existing alcohol issues,” said Roney. “If we can identify those students and get them help at the start of their college careers, that may head off more serious problems down the road.”
Each student will be required to take an online assessment within six weeks of attending his or her first class at KU. Students whose responses indicate a high risk factor will be contacted by Student Health Services with resources and be required to participate in a follow-up program.
Another change is that KU will provide amnesty from alcohol-related university and student housing polices to students who seek immediate medical assistance for persons experiencing alcohol-related emergencies.
“We have heard from some students who are reluctant to get help for a friend who has had too much to drink because that student has been drinking, too, and they are afraid of being punished,” said Roney. “While that should never stop someone from getting help for a friend in trouble, removing the threat of being documented for a policy violation will eliminate this obstacle.”
These actions are the first round of a series of steps KU plans to take, with additional actions expected to be considered and announced in the coming weeks and months.
Additionally, because the problem of underage alcohol abuse is a societal one, a Community Alcohol Coalition has been formed to provide a community-wide response.
The coalition met April 28 and will continue to meet on a regular basis to develop and implement strategies to address alcohol issues in our community. Task force members include representatives from KU, local government and schools, law enforcement agencies, health care providers and establishments that serve alcohol.
Community Coalition Members:Marlesa A. Roney, chair, vice provost for Student Success, KUJeff Weinberg, assistant to the chancellor, KUJack Martin, deputy director, University Communications, KUDiana Robertson, director, Department of Student Housing, KUCarol Seager, director, Student Health Services, KURueben Perez, director, Student Involvement and Leadership Center, KULew Perkins, director, Kansas Athletics Inc.Malcolm Gibson, general manager, University Daily KansanRalph Oliver, chief, Public Safety Office, KUMason Heilman, student body president, KUGene Meyer, president, Lawrence Memorial HospitalDenise Darby-Haynes, director of prevention, Douglas County Citizens Committee on AlcoholismRon Olin, chief, Lawrence Police DepartmentRandy Weseman, superintendent, Lawrence Public SchoolsDave Corliss, city manager, LawrenceRob Chestnut, mayor, City of LawrenceSarah Jane Russell, director, GaDuGi SafeCenter, LawrencePhil Bradley, Kansas Licensed Beverage AssociationGavin Smith, Lawrence Bar Owner’s Association
KU offers a variety of programs encouraging safe and responsible use of alcohol, including SafeRide and SafeBus and numerous alcohol-free social events sponsored by Student Union Activities and other KU units, such as New Student Orientation activities during Hawk Week. New Student Orientation also features a session for students and parents titled Making Smart Choices, and Peer Health Educators are available through the Wellness Resource Center.

The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.
kunews@ku.edu (785) 864-3256 1314 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045

Denise Witmer is a contribtor to this web site below. She is a professional who works with teens and a parent. It has all kinds of information for parents. It has quizzes, advice, suggestions and many other tools to get to know ourselves as parents and our teens. Check it out.

http://parentingteens.about.com/