INTERNET SAFETY

Brian Runk of Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence gave a very informative seminar Thursday Feb. 19th. Teens are suseptable to harassment and bullying online. There is also a trend of "sextexting" among teens. We parents need to be aware of these trends, the legalities involved, and signs it may possibly be happening to their child. Most cyberbullying goes unreported. It becomes a heavy burden to bear. Take a look at Brian's link below to get the facts to keep our kids safe. http://www.hqcc.lawrence.ks.us/Services/Youth_and_Parents/parents/safety/index.html

INTERNET SAFETY

If you can't make the INTERNET SAFETY PARENTING SEMINAR FEB. 19th, here are a couple of web sites with good advice on safe web surfing for teens.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html
http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/internet_safety.html

COOL PARENTS DON"T SERVE MINORS

Here is a story from CNN about social hosting. It could happen in any community in any state. http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/02/12/coolparents.drinking/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

The link below will give you steps to take if the party is at your house, if your teen goes to a party and when you are out of town.

http://www.kansasfamily.com/documents/SocHostParentTips.pdf

PARENTING SEMINAR Thursday Feb. 19th

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Here's another tool to help Lawrence parents.

INTERNET SAFETY SEMINAR

Thursday, February 19, 2009 7 pm
Lawrence Memorial Hospital Room A
Presented By: Brian Runk, Headquarters Counseling Center

http://www.dccca.org/documents/ParentingSeminars2009.pdf

REALITY GAP, Alcohol, Drugs, and Sex-What Parents Don't Know and Teens Aren't Telling

Book Review by Nancy Renfro
Reality Gap is a bible for parenting through the teenage years. It provides practical strategies that encourage safe decision-making among young people, along with their absorbing true-life stories, making it a must read for all of us who care about teens. Wallace, chairman and CEO of SADD, with his many years of up close and personal experience, brings us into the teen world and shows us how to manuver through it as effective parents. Startling, compelling, hopeful. You won't want to put it down. Get a copy and pass it around!

TIME FOR SPRING CLEANING

The rate of prescription drug abuse among adolescents has increased dramatically over the past decade. Prescription drugs are the second most commonly abused illicit drug among adolescents—surpassed only by marijuana (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2008).

WHERE ARE TEENS GETTING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS?
Teens say they are readily available -- in their own homes, from friends or relatives, and online pharmacies. Read these links and find out what you can do. http://www.dccca.org/documents/perscriptiondrugsflyer2-2009.pdf
http://www.theantidrug.com/DRUG_INFO/prescription_what_can_you_do.asp
http://www.dccca.org/documents/prevention_brief_rxdrugs2-2009.pdf

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY

Superbowl ads can be good conversation starters in your home this Sunday. Help increase your child's media literacy so they can deal with the mixed messages they get from parents and teachers and those they see on T.V.

http://family.samhsa.gov/talk/medialiteracy.aspx

WELCOME LAWRENCE PARENTS

Today is the OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING of The New Tradition Coalition blog site!
This site is for YOU, the parents and community members who guide our Lawrence youth. We will offer researched based articles helpful in raisinging healthy teenagers. This is also a
a forum for discussion between all of us who have and work with teenagers. Please give us your suggestions so that this site works for you.

THOSE WHO HOST LOSE THE MOST

Print this brochure and share with your family about the penalties of hosting underage drinkers at your home or on your property. http://www.kansasfamily.com/documents/SocHostBrochure.pdf

ASK AN EXPERT

Who is on The New Tradtion Coalition?
Behind all those names on the right is a wealth of local, Lawrence expertise. We will help you find research based answers. Our knowledge can lead to your power as a parent and concerned member of our community. Go ahead and ask! Post your question in the comment section below. You can sign in with your name or, comment anonomously.

ASK DIANE ASH, Prevention Specialist, Lawrence High

A parent writes to Diane Ash, Prevention Specialist at Lawrence High School:

Dear Diane,
I just found out my teen is drinking and smoking pot…how could I have missed the signs?

Unfortunately, many parents have had this experience. Here are some thoughts.

http://www.dccca.org/documents/ParentLetterDA.pdf

KANSAS BASELINE TRAINING

This 2-day program is intended to increase awareness of the impact of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) on the individual, family, school and community.
http://www.dccca.org/KansasBaselineTraining.htm

PARENTING SEMINARS in Lawrence

These are FREE educational forums for Douglas County parents/community members. The forums provide an understanding of many issues that your child may currently be dealing with so that as a parent, you are able to find helpful resources and understand the signs and symptoms. http://www.dccca.org/documents/ParentingSeminars2009.pdf

THE BATTLE AGAINST BINGE DRINKING

Underage drinking is illegal no matter how much alcohol is consumed. But binging, or drinking 5 or more servings of alcohol in one sitting, is a high-risk behavior. Find out what parents can do to stop the binge before it starts. http://www.parentingteensonline.com/article/show/title/The_Battle_Against_Binge_Drinking

LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF UNDERAGE INVOLVEMENT WITH ALCOHOL

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE

CITY OF LAWRENCE

The City of Lawrence Legal Services Department and Police Department have put together this pamphlet of the most commonly asked questions about underage drinking and its consequences under city ordinances in an effort to let people know more about this important issue.
The Legal Services Department or Police Department will be glad to answer your questions — call (785) 832–6195 or (785) 830-7400.
http://www.lawrenceks.org/court/docs/AlcoholBrochure.pdf

THE NEW DRUG EPIDEMIC STARTS IN THE MEDICINE CABINET

One afternoon a year and a half ago, 18-year-old Christine Weiss locked herself in the bathroom of an Orlando drugstore with a package of Coricidin® HBP Cough & Cold. Ripping it open, she popped a handful of little red pills in her mouth and washed them down with tap water. Then, fighting the urge to vomit--a side effect of taking about 12 times the recommended dose--Christine waited for the hallucinogenic effect of the huge amount of dextromethorphan (DXM), a narcotic derivative that's in more than 80 over-the-counter cough medications, to kick in.

It's happening in Lawrence, Kansas too. Open this link for more:
http://www.freevibe.com/Drug_Facts/prescription_OTC_full_article.asp

National Parent Discussion

How do you talk and listen to your child about alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and other drugs? Parents, the greatest influence on teens is YOU!

Be a part of an nationwide discussion and see what other parents from around the country are saying:

http://parentpower.casacolumbia.org/

FUN (and fact) WEB PAGE FOR TEENS

Wonder how and where our teens get their information on drugs and alcohol? Odds are, we all need more, correct information, preferably before teens choose to use. Here is a great web site for teens and parents to get the facts. Open this link, surf around, email it to the teens you love, or better yet, surf around together. That way, you'll both be "on the same page".

Let us know how you used and liked the site in our blog comments below.

http://teens.drugabuse.gov/

FOUR THINGS PARENTS CAN DO TO HELP PREVENT TEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Research provided by the
National Center on Addiction and Substance abuse
at Columbis University (CASA)


1) Monitor School Night Socializing
Nearly one-half (46%) of teens say that they typically go out with friends on school nights, while only 14% of parents say that their teens do so. •Once out, 53% of teens come home between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. and15% come home later. •The later teens stay out, the more likely they are to use alcohol or other drugs—even among older teens. Nearly one-third (29%) of those who come home between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. and 50% of those who come home after 10:00 p.m. say there’s alcohol or drug use among the kids they are with.

2) Safeguard prescription drugs in the home
One-third of teens who know someone who abuses prescription drugs say that person gets the drugs from parents, home, or medicine cabinets.

3) Address the problem of drugs in schools
One-third of parents think that the presence of drugs in school does not make it more likely that their child will use drugs. Yet previous CASA surveys have found that teens attending schools where drugs are used, kept, or sold are 5 times more likely to use marijuana, 15 times more likely to use prescription drugs, and 16 times more likely to use an illegal drug (other than marijuana or prescription drugs).

4) Set a good example. One-fourth of all teens know a parent of a classmate or friend who uses marijuana—and 10% say that this parent smokes with people the teens’age.

Generation Text

Do you text your teens? If not, you may be missing out on everyday opportunities to connect with the teens you care about, especially on tough issues like drugs and alcohol. New research from the Partnership and MetLife Foundation shows that when it comes to communication, today's generation of teens is far more likely to rely on text messaging (63%) than social networking sites like Facebook (38%) And teens don't only want to hear from their friends-a majority of teens-67 percent-were open to receiving texts from their parents after school-a time when teens are most likely to be unsupervised, a factor that increases the likelihood of risky behaviors.
While nothing takes the place of a face-to-face conversation, texting can help start a conversation with a reluctant teen or reinforce talks you've already had. Plus, it's a great way to keep in touch with kids when they're away from home at college, camp or anytime. Need help getting started? Check out a Time To Text Guide. from The Partnership for a Drug-free America.