It's Time to Talk: Drug Prevention at School and Home

Several schools in the Parkway and Rockwood Districts will begin celebrating Red Ribbon Week on October 21 to encourage students to remain drug free.

Red Ribbon Week aims to engage students in drug prevention and education through themed days like Crazy Hair Day and Neon Day.

These activities are designed to teach students that they have the ability to make proactive decisions that will improve their health and wellness, including the decision to abstain from illegal drugs. Deaths from drug overdoses have been on the rise for the past 11 years, and the number of teenage lives lost to drug abuse is greater than the number of deaths due to car accidents in the U.S. 

When parents and educators encourage students to say no to illicit drugs, it matters. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), children whose parents talk to them about drugs and alcohol are less likely to use these substances.

The NCADD offers the following tips for beginning the conversation about drug use. You can visit their website for more information.

• Keep track of the medicines in your home. Many young people who abuse prescription drugs get them from their parents’ medicine cabinets.
• Get to know your child’s friends and their parents.
• Ask your child open-ended questions about their feelings, friends, and activities rather than questions that have yes or no answers.
• Define your expectations and explain the legal and health ramifications of drug use.