Janeway Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Sometimes, I hear something about drugs. And news articles in particular like to say "parents, talk to your kids about drugs." And then that is it, the end of it. There are never resources. Even when I googled about drugs, it mostly comes up with drug rehab centers, some generic symptoms of drug abuse, and a number to call. So that would basically be the end of any drug education I could possibly give my children. I could say "look at this news article. Someone from the high school died of a drug overdose. I don't know what drug. I don't know how drug overdoses happen. I don't actually even know for sure it wasn't Tylenol. But hey, don't do drugs. Oh, take you allergy medicine. I am pretty certain these aren't the drugs they mean, but I don't know. I heard people abuse prescription drugs too." I have even done specific searches with specific questions and gotten no where. I also even tried to call those numbers. Since I don't have a patient for them, they are rehab centers. They don't seem to just answer questions. Anyone have any idea on how a parent could get a drug education? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 I found a lot of possibilities by googling "how to talk to your kids about drugs". https://www.google.com/#q=how+to+talk+to+your+kids+about+drugs&* 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 I think the Police Department or an M.D. or R.N. from the local E.R. could do a good job of explaining. However, I believe a Recovering Addict could give a far more impressive talk, to a class or auditorium full of kids in a Middle School or High School. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Drugfree org has info for parents under the learn tab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 (edited) We actually did drug education as part of a health credit. I got a free workbook from a government agency. It was interesting because it had a lot of neuroscience stuff in it about what was actually happening to the brain, etc. I'll see if I can find it, but I'm a terrible googler. This might have been it, lots of resources here: National Institute on Drug Abuse https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications Edited March 13, 2017 by goldberry 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 What sort of info do you want to share with them? I mostly have just winged it but I've had some good classes on addiction and drugs. I refuse to let my kids participate in DARE if I can avoid it. I tell them what the different drugs are, what they do, why people may want to use them, why it's hard to stop, what the damage can be, and stuff like that. I tell them never to take an unknown substance. I tell them to watch their drinks. I had my DDs watch a couple of videos from Sci Show on youtube about drugs. It's pretty well done but best for 12+ or at least kids with an interest in science and good attention span. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 "Do not put something in your body that is not food, or a medicine prescribed by your parents or your doctor that you are using as intended. ". Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 We opened the (ongoing) conversation by discussing values and the science for why certain substances are a bad idea. Because there is a strong history of addiction on both sides of the family (1/2 of their grandparents, 3/4 of their great-grandparents etcetera) we have also talked about the importance of delaying exposure to social drinking and why "just experimenting" is potentially more risky for people in our family than average. I agree with Lady Florida, there are MANY articles and links on this topic with a cursory google search. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 http://lmgtfy.com/?q=talk+to+kids+about+drugs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 (edited) It depends. What do you want to say to your kids about drugs?Our conversations thus far have focused on a few key points: 1. It's probably not immoral to do what you like to your own body, so long as you minimize harm to others. 2. However, our government doesn't see it that way, and you're at a higher risk of a heavy punishment for taking or dealing drugs if you are a minority, which you are. 3. Most illegal drugs are quite pricey - see point 2. This may not be the best way to spend your money, especially since 4. They DEFINITELY all can have serious health effects, and have the potential to be addictive. Health effects and addiction bring you back to point one - are you really minimizing the harm to others if you cannot support yourself and your addiction? Or if you OD? 5. You really must never smoke anything. You're asthmatic. Seriously, don't even go there. 6. Although we don't want you to do illegal drugs, if you get yourself into a serious situation, you can always come to us for help. We're not going to yell at you, or punish you. The same goes for alcohol. 7. Never, ever, ever lie to a doctor. NEVER. They can't tell the cops, and they can't tell us, so don't do it. Other people might prefer a different approach, but we're wary of making drugs sound too enticing, and this approach is grounded in our personal values. Nor do we want to make it sound like if you ever touch a joint you'll immediately be prostituting yourself out for crack and robbing your family to get money for meth. Once children realize you lied to them, they'll think you lied about everything. Edited March 13, 2017 by Tanaqui 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 I went to the community health nurse and borrowed the information pack that she used for teaching high school students. I also went to the medical clinic and asked for all their pamphlets. I rang drug help lines and verified the accuracy of information that I read then sat down with my children and showed them the information and had a discussion with them. My children also live with young children that were exposed to drugs in utero - we see the results of cognitive damage every day. My children agree with me that anyone that uses drugs should be steralized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 http://lmgtfy.com/?q=talk+to+kids+about+drugs Your post came off as snarky. But it didn't help anyway. I clicked on the links that resulted and they still did not answer questions like.... -what drugs are out there now. What are these kids in high school overdosing on? Is an overdose something that happens easily? How are they obtaining these drugs? -prescription drugs-which ones do I need to worry about, in case I actually have some? How do I warn my children about drugs can be legal and even prescribed to you, but they can still be abused...specifics..which ones can be abused? How do they know if they are abusing them? How can they make good decisions in this area when some doctors are drug pushers? -what are the long term effects of drugs? As in, a teen uses drugs now. Gets away with it. What would we expect to see, likely, in 20 years? the links from a search on how to talk to my child about drugs mostly tells us just to talk to them and it needs to be brought up. It does not give us the information, in detail, that we might want to know in order to be able to educate our children. Stories I have heard in recent to go off of..... -child gets prescribed Vyvanse for ADHD. He is given it again when headed to college. Parents object and the doctor tells the parent it is none of their business, in front of adult child. Same day, doctor gives child prescription for an even higher dose and tells him not to listen to his parents. Later, child goes in to program to get off the drug. -Woman has injury. She ends up with a patch with some sort of narcotic. It builds and builds. Her entire life around her becomes unreal. Eventually, she shoots herself and her teenage daughter because she does not want her daughter to know what dire straights she is in financially. Her dead body is found with 3 patches on it. Above are the specific stories I have heard. Mostly, I hear stories like this... -our town lost another child to a drug overdose -This is the third child this year from here to die, taken too young. We need to do something. -Thank you everyone for the prayers regarding the loss of my son last month. Your support has meant the world to us. -We really need to be vigilant and increase drug awareness. Above are all recapping of just a few posts that have come across my feed from people in my own town over just the course of this school year. So I am not just looking for the generic...you need to speak to your kids. Start young. It can happen to anyone. I am looking for information on what "it" is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) Sometimes, I hear something about drugs. And news articles in particular like to say "parents, talk to your kids about drugs." And then that is it, the end of it. There are never resources. Even when I googled about drugs, it mostly comes up with drug rehab centers, some generic symptoms of drug abuse, and a number to call. So that would basically be the end of any drug education I could possibly give my children. I could say "look at this news article. Someone from the high school died of a drug overdose. I don't know what drug. I don't know how drug overdoses happen. I don't actually even know for sure it wasn't Tylenol. But hey, don't do drugs. Oh, take you allergy medicine. I am pretty certain these aren't the drugs they mean, but I don't know. I heard people abuse prescription drugs too." I have even done specific searches with specific questions and gotten no where. I also even tried to call those numbers. Since I don't have a patient for them, they are rehab centers. They don't seem to just answer questions. Anyone have any idea on how a parent could get a drug education? Based on the bolded, perhaps I misunderstood the question. I was thinking you were looking for a how-to on talking to your kids about drugs and the potential consequences of misusing drugs. It looks like you may not know much about drugs and overdoses and feel that you lack the frame of reference to start the conversation? One need not have experience with drug use to know about them. I think you do need to arm yourself with clearer information, so you don't confuse your children by drawing a connection between any and all drugs (Tylenol, Claritin) and the incidents involving ODs. As for how an overdose harms people, it varies. The dangerous or fatal overdoses you hear about on the news is usually from people losing the ability to breathe. Certain drugs and combinations of substances slow respiration, and when you take more than your body can handle, you can lose consciousness and die from asphyxiation. Sometimes people have a cardiac event and die due to illicit drug use. That is how a childhood friend of mine died- he had a heart attack while high and diving into a swimming pool. He was just 16 years old. Other drugs may cause people to behave in ways that are dangerous enough to kill them. My older brother once ran onto the freeway and was trying to stop cars because he thought he was superman. Another time he jumped from a high spot and nearly died. These types of events are not, as a general rule, because of Tylenol or Claritin. While people abuse OTC and prescription medication and it's important to stress that people use their medications as directed and watch for any signs of dependence, it's not necessary to lump all substances into one nebulous pool. I discuss with my older son what people look like when they may be intoxicated and have started to go over what to do in a situation where someone may need medical attention. I've also discussed with him and my niece that they can call or text me any time of day and I will come and get them. I think it will be several years or more before this is relevant for my son, but I want him to be aware and well versed when it may be an issue. He is 13; my niece is 14. My niece doesn't live with us full-time and has some high-risk factors in her life. She has fleetingly experimented with tobacco and alcohol. We sometimes include my son in our conversations with her, so she doesn't feel singled out. Edited March 14, 2017 by LucyStoner 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Your post came off as snarky. But it didn't help anyway. I clicked on the links that resulted and they still did not answer questions like.... -what drugs are out there now. What are these kids in high school overdosing on? Is an overdose something that happens easily? How are they obtaining these drugs? -prescription drugs-which ones do I need to worry about, in case I actually have some? How do I warn my children about drugs can be legal and even prescribed to you, but they can still be abused...specifics..which ones can be abused? How do they know if they are abusing them? How can they make good decisions in this area when some doctors are drug pushers? -what are the long term effects of drugs? As in, a teen uses drugs now. Gets away with it. What would we expect to see, likely, in 20 years? the links from a search on how to talk to my child about drugs mostly tells us just to talk to them and it needs to be brought up. It does not give us the information, in detail, that we might want to know in order to be able to educate our children. Stories I have heard in recent to go off of..... -child gets prescribed Vyvanse for ADHD. He is given it again when headed to college. Parents object and the doctor tells the parent it is none of their business, in front of adult child. Same day, doctor gives child prescription for an even higher dose and tells him not to listen to his parents. Later, child goes in to program to get off the drug. -Woman has injury. She ends up with a patch with some sort of narcotic. It builds and builds. Her entire life around her becomes unreal. Eventually, she shoots herself and her teenage daughter because she does not want her daughter to know what dire straights she is in financially. Her dead body is found with 3 patches on it. Above are the specific stories I have heard. Mostly, I hear stories like this... -our town lost another child to a drug overdose -This is the third child this year from here to die, taken too young. We need to do something. -Thank you everyone for the prayers regarding the loss of my son last month. Your support has meant the world to us. -We really need to be vigilant and increase drug awareness. Above are all recapping of just a few posts that have come across my feed from people in my own town over just the course of this school year. So I am not just looking for the generic...you need to speak to your kids. Start young. It can happen to anyone. I am looking for information on what "it" is. Did you check out the drugfree.org website under the "learn" tab. It has a lot if not all that you seem to be looking for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) d/p Edited March 14, 2017 by Artichoke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Your post came off as snarky. But it didn't help anyway. I clicked on the links that resulted and they still did not answer questions like.... -what drugs are out there now. What are these kids in high school overdosing on? Is an overdose something that happens easily? How are they obtaining these drugs? -prescription drugs-which ones do I need to worry about, in case I actually have some? How do I warn my children about drugs can be legal and even prescribed to you, but they can still be abused...specifics..which ones can be abused? How do they know if they are abusing them? How can they make good decisions in this area when some doctors are drug pushers? -what are the long term effects of drugs? As in, a teen uses drugs now. Gets away with it. What would we expect to see, likely, in 20 years? the links from a search on how to talk to my child about drugs mostly tells us just to talk to them and it needs to be brought up. It does not give us the information, in detail, that we might want to know in order to be able to educate our children. Your posts are coming off as a bit odd here Janeway. The most common problematic drug right now are opioids in both "street" and prescription formulations. Teens are obtaining drugs primarily via their parents or using their parent's resources. I've heard credible reports of parties where kids bring the contents of their medicine cabinets. Overdoses can happen when someone takes too much or takes a doctored up version of something. Combining drugs and alcohol significantly increases the risks of each. As for the news stories you are referencing, I think those are of limited utility, and it frankly sounds like you are overfocusing on them. If you feel the need to educate yourself further, I would recommend looking for articles that address the issues in a larger context rather than just local reporting on what happened where and when. You may also like this book: https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Your-Kids-Parents-Matter/dp/0375760288 http://www.teenvogue.com/story/teens-opioid-poisonings-painkillers-hospitalizations-teen-story http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioid-overdoses-pediatric-1.3830684 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) A more extreme resource is an NA meeting. just make certain it's an open meeting which means those affected by drug abuse but not using are welcome to attend. We've been working with moms of babies born with drug dependencies for the last couple of years. When I was having trouble understanding what they were going through, one of the gals suggested I go to NA with her. I did. It was uncomfortable at times because you never know what you'll hear, but it really opened my eyes. Read urban dictionary. You'll feel gross afterward, but you'll be caught up on slang, including slang for drugs. As far as doctors who are drug pushers, you probably don't need to cover that right now. Just focus on not taking illegal drugs or any drugs that aren't prescribed for you. Remind them about the dangers of alcohol and leaving drinks unattended. Let them know you'll always come get them -- anytime, anywhere, no questions asked until later. Role play with them about bad situations at parties and sleep overs. Let them use you as a scapegoat if they're caught in a bad situation -- " Hey, I can't. My weird, crazy, paranoid, elfin' mom makes me take a pee test every month." While it's helpful to know what drugs the kids are into, you really don't have to know exactly where they got it or how they overdosed on it in order to educate/warn your kids. ETA: If there is a specific new trend on your area, it'll probably be on the local news. Best wishes as you find what you're looking for. Edited March 14, 2017 by Artichoke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) Janeway, it sounds like you are specifically concerned about your local area. I find our local newspaper has done some good, detailed reporting about the specifics of concerns and events in heavily-affected neighborhoods near me. Newspapers go into much more detail than brief TV reports.Nationwide, the heroin and opiate-based prescription drugs are getting a lot of attention as they are on the rise, but other drugs like meth are still out there too. -prescription drugs-which ones do I need to worry about, in case I actually have some? How do I warn my children about drugs can be legal and even prescribed to you, but they can still be abused...specifics..which ones can be abused? How do they know if they are abusing them? How can they make good decisions in this area when some doctors are drug pushers? Well, the best thing to do with prescription drugs is to read the patient package insert. It will give you information about what the drug is designed to treat and what side effects you may experience, including addiction if applicable. Help your older children to read the information and put it in the context of their medical issue - they (with your help) can weigh the pros and cons of taking the drug to treat their condition. This site has a lot of information on specific drugs of abuse. Many textbooks designed for health classes contain useful information about drug abuse, as well as alcohol addiction. You might see if there is one that meets your needs. You don't need to teach everything all at once. Start small, with the basics. Then research, and ask your children to research, following up on the pieces that seem most relevant or useful to your specific area and your specific family needs. Drug education, along with all health education topics, is an ongoing learning process. Edited March 14, 2017 by justasque 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) Your post came off as snarky. But it didn't help anyway. I clicked on the links that resulted and they still did not answer questions like.... -what drugs are out there now. What are these kids in high school overdosing on? Is an overdose something that happens easily? How are they obtaining these drugs? -prescription drugs-which ones do I need to worry about, in case I actually have some? How do I warn my children about drugs can be legal and even prescribed to you, but they can still be abused...specifics..which ones can be abused? How do they know if they are abusing them? How can they make good decisions in this area when some doctors are drug pushers? -what are the long term effects of drugs? As in, a teen uses drugs now. Gets away with it. What would we expect to see, likely, in 20 years? You claimed "There are never resources". Many of the questions are thoroughly answered in the pages that are brought up by the search link in my post. The first page already addresses most. It mentions very specifically how to talk with children and offers a parent talk kit for download. http://drugfree.org/article/talk-with-your-kids/ Under "learn" there is detailed info about the opiod epidemic and prescription meds.http://drugfree.org/article/heroin-other-opioids-from-understanding-to-action/ To address a few points in a nutshell: Kids obtain many drugs at their parents' homes. Overdoses are easy. A friend's child died from one single pill of ecstasy that caused heart failure. Opiods: terribly addictive. Avoid use if at all possible, even if prescribed. Addiction can begin after a few doses. I watched like a hawk when DS was prescribed opioids after oral surgery. That is the one class of drugs where I am concerned about overprescribing in respect to addition. (Clearly, antibiotics are overprescibed too, but they are not addictive) Generally for prescription drugs: tell child only to take drug that is prescribed to him, in the dose that is prescribed, for the condition it is prescribed. Do not take prescription meds prescribed to others, in higher doses than prescribed, or for other conditions. That should be a general rule for all prescriptions, irrespective of overdose This too is discussed in detail in the first search hit my link brings up. .http://drugfree.org/article/secure-dispose-of-medicine-properly/ The internet is full of info - these are all from the very first search hit. Edited March 14, 2017 by regentrude 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Near the end of elementary school our teacher told us that we should watch our drinks (cola, etc) at middle school parties and beyond, and never leave them unattended, because some bad person could put drugs in them. When I was in high school, a lot of parents told their kids that they didn't want them to try drugs, but that if they were going to try them anyway, to at least have someone they trusted with them who was sober in case something went wrong (and by trusted I mean willing to call 911/take you to the hospital, not someone who will chicken about, and not someone who will take advantage of your impaired condition either). Do you have some sort of safe search program on that's making it harder for you to find info? If not, you could try more more specific Google searches, such as "most commonly abused drugs", and then search for the specific drugs on the list (e.g. "long term effects of heroin"). My main concern with drugs (aside from illegality) is that you can't be sure that what your supplier gives you is what s/he is claiming to give you - the purity etc of illegal drugs, by definition, is completely unregulated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 We had D.A.R.E. in school and it was useless, because it was incorrect on account of overzealousness. They told us marijuana was addictive and a gateway drug to disaster; my mom said she'd smoked pot in college and seemed to be leading a normal life afterward. I didn't drink alcohol or do any drug in high school, but I always thought the over the top scaremongering of the public school program was counterproductive. I would try to tell the truth, in specific, as it comes up (or a bit before if you anticipate a need), in response to specific drugs. Caffeine is a drug. Cigarettes are worse, for many many people, than weed. ymmv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I didn't drink alcohol or do any drug in high school, but I always thought the over the top scaremongering of the public school program was counterproductive. As I recall, formal studies show that DARE was associated with a higher use of substance abuse later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) Stories I have heard in recent to go off of..... -child gets prescribed Vyvanse for ADHD. He is given it again when headed to college. Parents object and the doctor tells the parent it is none of their business, in front of adult child. Same day, doctor gives child prescription for an even higher dose and tells him not to listen to his parents. Later, child goes in to program to get off the drug. Well, for one I'd make sure that my kids know some stories are just stories and that you shouldn't be afraid of prescribed medications, taken properly, under the care of a doctor. Vyvanse is a controlled substance. A doctor will not prescribe a controlled substance to a minor without parental permission. As for adult child, the doctor is correct. There are privacy laws and unless the adult child gives permission to share information with the parents it really is none of their business. My son has been on ADHD meds since he was quite young. No doctor has ever insisted he take them. In fact, at one time he wanted to try to control his ADHD without meds and the doctor was all for it. Unfortunately he lost his entire 9th grade year due to inability to focus long enough to retain information (good thing he was homeschooled and we could work to fix that rather than just fail him). As he is now an adult I am no longer expected to be in the loop, but he has signed forms allowing dh and me to have his medical info. We don't abuse that permission and have never actually had a need to call.. As for the ADHD meds themselves, they are not addictive unless abused. Any stimulant has the potential for abuse and anyone who takes ADHD meds will see improved ability to focus, even if they don't have the disorder. Those who actually need it (i.e., diagnosed with ADHD) are the least likely to abuse such medications. In fact, people with untreated ADHD are more likely to abuse drugs in an attempt to self-medicate. People who actually have ADHD and take medication for it are not generally the population being treated for addiction to their properly prescribed, properly taken medications. The story of that doctor sounds like a typical scare tactic/urban myth. I understand you want to talk to your kids about all possibilities, and if you don't have any children with ADHD, please do talk to them about stimulant abuse. Make sure they know that even prescription medications can be abused. Make sure they know never, ever to take someone else's prescribed medication. But please don't do it in a way that would scare them away from taking a needed medication if prescribed. Just be sure they know to never adjust doses on their own and to stay in contact with their doctor (which is actually required when one takes a controlled substance). Edited March 14, 2017 by Lady Florida. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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