Keeping Your Kids Drug Free

The highly acclaimed comprehensive guide to getting your child through the formative pre-teen, teen, and college years drug-free—now completely revised and updated. Nearly every child will be offered drugs or alcohol before graduating high school, and excessive drinking is common at most colleges. But the good news is that a child who gets to age twenty-one without smoking, using illegal drugs, or abusing alcohol or prescription drugs is virtually certain never to do so. Drawing on more than two decades of research at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASAColumbia), founder Joseph A. Califano, Jr., presents a clear, common-sense guide to helping kids stay drug-free. All parents dream of a healthy, productive, and fulfilling future for their children; Califano shows which specific actions work and what parents can do to teach, protect, and empower their children to have the greatest chance of making that future come true. Teenagers who learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are twice as likely never to try them, and this book provides the tools parents need to prepare their children for those crucial decision-making moments. In this revised and updated edition, Califano tackles some of the newest obstacles standing between our kids and a drug-free life—from social media sites and cell phone apps to the explosion in prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse and the increased dangers and addictive power of marijuana. He reveals what teens can’t or won’t tell their parents about their thoughts on drugs and alcohol, and combines the latest research with his discussions with thousands of parents and teens about the challenges that widespread access to drugs and alcohol present, and how parents can instill in their teens the will and skills to choose not to use. Califano’s insightful and lively guide is as readable as it is informative.

"How do we prevent our kids from starting to use drugs?" Effective drug prevention is an ongoing process that starts in the toddler years. This book is a guide to help you as this journey begins. The suggestions are age appropriate, but their goal will be to mold your child into a positive, self-assured teenager, one that will not be interested in drug use. Although methods of parenting vary from parent to parent, the common goal concerning drug abuse prevention should be to develop children with a strong sense of self, and a very high level of self-esteem. Children need to respect themselves and their loved ones. Children do not come with a manual, and all you can do is your best. Hopefully, the following tools to keep your kids drug free will help you on the journey of parenthood. BOOK AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

Shows parents what children should know about drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, at each age level. Special section on specific drugs and their effects, including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, inhalants, cocaine, other stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, narcotics, designer drugs, and anabolic steroids. Contents: teaching values; getting the facts; talking with and listening to your child; communication tips; teaching your child to say No; what to do if your child is using drugs; school-parent cooperation; parent support groups, and more. Photos and children's art.

Drugs & kids. It's a reality every parent must face. As parents or other concerned caregivers, you are the greatest resource in raising drug-free children. This book will help you: keep your kids healthy & safe from drugs & violence; understand the pressures on young people to use drugs; know about specific drugs & their major effects; educate your kids about the responsible use of alcohol, tobacco, & other drugs; recognize signs & symptoms of drug use/abuse; encourage positive self-esteem in your child; develop open relationships with your children; communicate & teach family values; set rules & establish family guidelines; be a positive influence in your child's life; deal with problems related to drugs; & violence; & know where to go for help.