Parents urged to talk about drugs, alcohol.Byline: Jeff Wright Jeff Wright can refer to:
Most adults think parents should be the ones to steer children away from alcohol and drugs. Most parents disapprove dis·ap·prove v. dis·ap·proved, dis·ap·prov·ing, dis·ap·proves v.tr. 1. To have an unfavorable opinion of; condemn. 2. To refuse to approve; reject. v.intr. of high school teens using alcohol and marijuana marijuana or marihuana, drug obtained from the flowering tops, stems, and leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa (see hemp) or C. indica; the latter species can withstand colder climates. . And most teens know their parents will be disappointed if they are caught using alcohol or other drugs. So who has the greatest influence on whether a teenager actually uses alcohol or drugs? According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a new survey of 350 Lane County adults, the answer is: the teen's friends and peers. Cop-out? Disconnect disconnect - SCSI reconnect ? Whatever the reasons, it's a perception that members of the Lane County Coalition to Prevent Substance Abuse are trying hard to pierce. "Parents either are not aware that they have powerful influence over how to guide their children, or they don't have the tools to effectively influence their children not to use alcohol and other drugs," said Dr. Martin Klos, coalition chairman. "The truth is, parents have enormous influence over a child's well-being." To make his point, Klos invited his own teenage son, Templeton, to take part in a Wednesday news conference aimed at encouraging parents to let their views on alcohol and drug use be known. Klos said his son, and his son's friends, are well aware of his views on the matter. In the recent survey, 53 percent of adult respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. said a teen's friends and peers were most influential in their choices around substance use, compared with 33 percent who felt parents were most influential. But Templeton Klos, a senior at Springfield High School Springfield High School may refer to:
The telephone survey, commissioned by Lane County Prevention Services, was conducted in April by RMC RMC Royal Military College RMC Radio Monte Carlo RMC Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, Virginia) RMC Regional Medical Center RMC Robert Morris College (Illinois) RMC Rocky Mountain College Research Corp. of Portland and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent. Among the survey's other findings: Many more Lane County adults feel teens are at great or moderate risk of heavy alcohol use (92 percent) than they are of occasional marijuana use (53 percent). Nonetheless, similar percentages of adults disapprove of teens using marijuana (86 percent believing it's "wrong" or "very wrong") and using alcohol (82 percent). About two-thirds of adults said drunkenness Drunkenness See also Alcoholism. Acrasia self-indulgent in the pleasures of the senses. [Br. Lit.: Faerie Queene] Admiral of the red a wine-bibber. [Br. (69 percent) and marijuana use (64 percent) are unacceptable in their social circles. More adults feel drug laws are not adequately enforced (46 percent) compared with alcohol laws not adequately enforced (35 percent). The challenge of getting parents involved is clear when comparing the new survey to similar ones conducted by Lane County in past years. For example, 50 percent of respondents said parents should exercise primary responsibility for substance abuse prevention - compared with 62 percent who felt that way in a similar survey in 1998. The number who feel police have a primary responsibility fell from 23 percent to 3 percent in that time, and the percentage who place the primary responsibility on schools and teachers slipped from 7 percent to 1 percent. More respondents today now feel that the primary responsibility falls to the entire community (30 percent) or to the individual teenager (11 percent). Teens, meanwhile, understand that parents generally disapprove of them drinking alcohol or smoking marijuana or cigarettes. In a Lane County Oregon Healthy Teens survey conducted last year, 93 percent of 11th-graders polled said their parents would view their smoking cigarettes as "wrong" or "very wrong," as would 89 percent about smoking marijuana and 81 percent about drinking alcohol. The percentages were even higher among eighth-graders polled. The same survey found that 44 percent of 11th-graders had drunk alcohol in the previous 30 days, 21 percent had smoked marijuana and 19 percent had smoked cigarettes. The percentages for eighth-graders were 30 percent (alcohol), 9 percent (marijuana) and 8 percent (cigarettes). The frequency with which parents make their views known about substance abuse can make a big difference, Gillian Leichtling of RMC Research said. "Young people who know their parents strongly disapprove are less likely to use (substances) than those whose parents mildly disapprove," she said. Judy Newman, co-director of EC Cares, a state program that provides early childhood intervention Early Childhood Intervention is a support system for children with developmental delays and/or disabilities and their families. If a child experiences a developmental delay, this can compound over time. , said it's never too early - or too late - for parents to begin instilling in·still also in·stil tr.v. in·stilled, in·still·ing, in·stills also in·stils 1. To introduce by gradual, persistent efforts; implant: "Morality . . . in children their disapproval of drug and alcohol use. The key is for parents to build open and honest communication, "and that requires practice," she said. County Commissioner Faye Stewart said policy-makers and citizens can help by supporting Head Start, Kidsports and other youth programs; establishing a public safety tax district to better fight methamphetamine methamphetamine (mĕth'ămfĕt`əmēn): see amphetamine; methedrine. and other drug abuse; and advocating for living-wage jobs that can free parents to spend more time with their kids. Klos, the coalition chairman, said the group is looking at a range of strategies - from reducing alcohol ads at sports venues to holding meetings with young people cited as minors in possession of alcohol - to fight the problem of teenage alcohol abuse. Organizers presented the survey findings at Oakmont Park, a new park on Oakway Way designed with the help of neighbors, to make the point that creating inviting places for families is another way to combat drug abuse. PARENTING TIPS How to guard against your kids using drugs or alcohol Learn to communicate: Be absolutely clear with your kids that you don't want them using drugs; be a good listener; give honest answers Walk the walk: Be a living example of your value system; examine your own behavior Lay down the law: Create rules and discuss consequences; set a curfew curfew [O.Fr.,=cover fire], originally a signal, such as the ringing of a bell, to damp the fire, extinguish all lights in the dwelling, and retire for the night. The custom originated as a precaution against fires and was common throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. ; have kids check in at regular times Praise and reward: Reward good behavior Orderly and lawful action; conduct that is deemed proper for a peaceful and law-abiding individual. The definition of good behavior depends upon how the phrase is used. consistently and immediately; accentuate ac·cen·tu·ate tr.v. ac·cen·tu·at·ed, ac·cen·tu·at·ing, ac·cen·tu·ates 1. To stress or emphasize; intensify: the positive How to get involved locally: Call 682-3817. - Office of National Drug Control Policy The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) was established by the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988 (21 U.S.C.A. § 1501 et seq.) and began operations in January 1989. , Lane County Coalition to Prevent Substance Abuse |
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