Drugs & Your Family

Do's and Don'ts: Talking to Your Kids About Drugs

Quick tips on how to talk to your teens about drug use.
8 Activities to Keep Your Kids Occupied During Summer Vacation (Besides the Summer Job)

In June, teens are amped for summer vacation. But as the school-free weeks go on and on, boredom usually sets in. And that’s where problems could start. According to reports, summer break is when a lot of teens take drugs for the first time. Here are some activities to keep your young loved ones engaged to, hopefully, have a drug-free summer vacation.
Buying Drugs Online – What You Should Know & How to Protect Your Kids

Young people are getting drugs online, perhaps now more than ever.
Drug Paraphernalia – How Much Do You Really Know?

Educating yourself on various drugs and their paraphernalia is a key way to prevent drug use in your household. Would you be able to recognize drug paraphernalia when you see it? And which common household items could be connected to drugs? Test your knowledge by taking our quiz.
Bullying and Future Drug Use

We all know that the emotional damage bullying has on a child can last well into their adulthood. But now, a recent study has also cast a light on the connection between bullying and future drug use.
What You Should Know About Steroids and Young People

High school steroid use has been on the decline for many years. Still, 45 percent of high school seniors do not see a great risk in using steroids once or twice, according to the Monitoring the Future 2016 Survey. This, coupled with the availability of the drugs online, could signal danger to teens that don’t know or understand the risks.
10 Strategies to Prevent Your Young Person from Using Drugs

According to a recent study, young people who hadn’t used drugs up until their senior year in high school are more likely to use marijuana once they start college than their peers who don’t go to college. Here are a few ways you can prevent your young loved one from using any drug before they head off to school and while they are in college.
Hiding Places

All parents strive to have an open and honest relationship with their teens. However, if your young loved one is dealing with drug addiction, they often become secretive, and as parents you may find answers in their rooms or vehicles. For those facing this serious issue, here are a few common places your teen could be hiding drugs.
Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention for Early Childhood

Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention for Early Childhood is an online guide about interventions in early childhood that can help prevent drug use and other unhealthy behaviors.
VIDEO: Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict

You are going to see that once the addiction starts it is often too late. By telling somebody, you could be saving a life.
How Opioid (Painkiller) Abuse Can Lead to Heroin Use

Since 2010, heroin deaths have significantly increased by 248 percent. Why is this happening?
VIDEO: Marijuana—The Facts and Fiction

Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in America. Like the tobacco plant, its smoke contains a mixture of gasses and particles that are harmful to your lungs. Watch this video to find out what's fact and fiction.
Video: Synthetic Drugs

Synthetic drugs are made from chemical compounds, and some people think they are a legal substitute for drugs like marijuana and ecstasy. But they are not. Watch to learn the difference.
Prescription Drug Abuse

What is prescription drug abuse? Prescription drug abuse is when someone takes a medication prescribed for someone else, takes their own prescription in a way not intended by a doctor or dentist, or takes a medication to get high. Source: www.drugabuse.gov
Medications in Your Home

Prescription (Rx) and over- the-counter (OTC) medicines are legal products that should be used only as directed. Each day, 46 people die from an overdose of prescription painkillers. Unfortunately, many teens are using opioid painkillers and OTC medicines to get high.
School Failure

The associations between substance use, academic failure and dropout are strong and well recognized among researchers and educators who study adolescent substance use.
Text Messaging: Lost in Translation?

Video Transcript Accessibility Statement: This video is an animated presentation with background music that does not add to the context or experience of the content. In it, two teens are having a text message conversation on a smartphone screed; the teens are not seen, the focus is on the phone’s screen. They’re texting in acronyms and slang – some real, some created to demonstrate the rapidly changing language teens often use. Off to the side of the screen, as the teen texts, “parent translations” of each text message are shown.
Talking to Your Child When You Suspect Drug Use

Choose the right time to talk. When talking to your child be sure your child is sober or has not been using drugs before talking about drugs and alcohol.
Why do Teens Use Drugs?

The teen years are often a time to explore and learn more about themselves as they approach adulthood. Often, this involves experimenting and testing their boundaries. The desire to do something new or risky is a normal part of teen development.
What’s Happening in Your Child’s School

Youth are using, buying, and selling drugs on school campuses and at school events in middle schools and secondary schools. Find out how your school is handling this problem.
Social Media: Understanding a Teen's World

Traditional sites are changing. Because many parents scrutinize social networking sites or “friend” their children on Facebook, teens and tweens are turning to more secretive sites.
Drugged Driving—What You Should Know

Driving while drugged can impair a person's ability to drive a car. Learn more about this dangerous activity.
Signs of Drug Use

Teens are known to have mood swings. However, some behavior may indicate more serious issues, such as abuse of drugs and alcohol. Here are some of the warning signs of drug use.