Tips From Reality Check Help Kids Avoid Drugs and Alcohol in the New Year

YPSILANTI, Mich., Jan. 2 /PRNewswire/ — Reality Check, an anti-drug and alcohol campaign, has tips for parents who wish to help their children make smarter decisions about drugs and alcohol in the New Year.

“As 2007 begins, we want to give parents tips to help them discuss the use of drugs and alcohol with their kids,” said Michele Baukema, health educator for the Washtenaw County Public Health Department. “This is the perfect time to address the pressure kids may be feeling,” she said.

   Reality Check suggests the following tips from http://www.theantidrug.com/    * Be absolutely clear with your kids that you don’t want them using drugs.     Don’t leave room for interpretation. Talk often about the dangers and     results of drug and alcohol abuse.    * Be a better listener. Ask questions–and encourage them. Paraphrase what     your teen says. Ask for their input about family decisions. A     willingness to listen will make your teen feel more comfortable about     opening up to you.    * Give honest answers. Don’t make up what you don’t know; offer to find     out. If asked whether you’ve ever taken drugs, let them know what’s     important: That you don’t want them using drugs.    * Use TV reports, anti-drug commercials, or school discussions about drugs     to help you introduce the subject in a natural, unforced way. Ask them     what they think.    * Don’t react in a way that will cut off further discussion. If your teen     makes statements that challenge or shock you, turn them into a calm     discussion of why your teen thinks people use drugs, or whether they are     worth the risk.   

Reality Check (http://www.myrealitycheck.org/ ), a partnership between the Washtenaw County Public Health Department and the Livingston County Community Alliance, is funded through a grant from the Washtenaw County Health Organization (WCHO). For more information, go to http://www.myrealitycheck.org/ or call 734-544-6700. Parents interested in the program may sign up for regular e-mail updates on the Reality Check website.

Contact: Sharon Sheldon, Program Administrator, Washtenaw County Public Health Department

(734) 544-6781

Gray R. Reynolds, Communications Manager, Washtenaw County Public Health Department

(734) 544-3091

Reporters also may contact Tracy Lark at 248-506-6185.

Reality Check

CONTACT: Sharon Sheldon, Program Administrator, +1-734-544-6781, or GrayR. Reynolds, Communications Manager, +1-734-544-3091, both of Washtenaw CountyPublic Health Department