Brief Guide For Parents

Parents are the best Prevention

• Parents must take the time to consistently talk to their children about drugs, alcohol and tobacco from the time the kids are old enough to understand.

• Their central nervous system is still developing. If they use cocaine, methamphetamine heroin, marijuana or LSD, they risk impairing that development and cause permanent brain damage. These psychoactive drugs will affect the brain and impair judgment.
• Their life may be endanger under influence of drugs.

• The use of drugs means kids will be less able to protect themselves from physical or sexual assault.
• Smoking marijuana is illegal and a possible gateway to more dangerous drugs.
• A 12-year old who smokes marijuana is 79 times as likely to have an addictive problem later in life than a non-marijuana using child.

• Alcohol is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
• Alcohol claims more than 100,000 lives a year.
• Half of all sexual assault and date-rape cases involve alcohol.
• Driving accidents, violence and suicide from alcohol are the leading causes of death among American youth.

Cigarette smoking

• Nicotine is the leading cause of preventable death in our nation.
• Smoking cigarettes claims more than 400,000 lives a year.
• Each day 3,000 more kids will begin smoking. One-third of them will probably have their lives shortened as a result.

Smoking cigarettes linked to use of illegal drugs

• Children who smoke cigarettes are 5.9 times more likely to use illegal drugs.
• Studies show that 83% of those who used cocaine identified smoking cigarettes as a gateway behavior.

Speaking out about dangers of drug use to children

• Children using drugs do not understand the associated risks.
• Help your children appreciate what’s at stake if they smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or use illegal drugs. If you don’t, your child is more likely to risk his or her mental and physical health

Information provided courtesy of D.A.R.E. America.