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The Partnership for a Drug-Free America(R) Launches Time To Talk(TM) Encouraging and Supporting Parent/Child Communication

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 August 2007, 12:22 CDT

NEW York, Aug. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Partnership for a Drug- Free America is launching a new year-round cause campaign called Time To Talk (TimeToTalk.org). This campaign -- the first of its kind from the Partnership -- encourages and empowers parents and caregivers to have frequent talks with their kids about the health risks of drug and alcohol use.

The Time To Talk campaign has its foundation in the Partnership's ongoing national research that shows kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from parents are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs. Yet, only 31 percent of teens report learning about the risks of drugs from their parents.

TimeToTalk.org provides parents helpful tips and tools to begin these conversations, and the encouragement to help parents sustain communication over time. Parents can sign up for free monthly newsletters and gain access to tools such as, Tips for Getting the Conversation Started, How to Help Your Kid Turn Down Drugs and Answering the Question: "Did You Do Drugs?" Insightful, timely and relevant content and resources will be updated and added frequently. The site also links to the Time To Talk Yahoo Group, an online forum that enables parents to share experiences and connect with other parents facing similar situations.

Joining in the effort to raise awareness about Time To Talk is celebrity mother Mary Hart, host of television's Entertainment Tonight. Hart will pose a parent-targeted question that will be featured on Yahoo! Answers. Parents are encouraged to go to Yahoo! and search for 'Mary Hart question.'

Yahoo! Answers is a new way to find and share information. It's an interactive Web site where people ask each other questions on any topic, and get answers by sharing facts, opinions, and personal insights and experiences.

"I know I am a big influence in my son's life, and like most parents, I want to make sure he is equipped to make healthy choices," said Mary Hart. "That's why I'm proud to be associated with the Partnership and this innovative campaign that will help parents and caregivers safeguard their children from the risks of drug and alcohol abuse."

"Time To Talk responds to an unmet need reported by parents across the country; they want more support, someone to simplify complex issues, easy conversation starters and the opportunity to network and learn from other parents," said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the Partnership. "We also want to help parents and caregivers understand they are an extraordinarily powerful influence on their kids' choices when it comes to drugs and alcohol."

The Partnership is pleased to acknowledge the 2007 Time To Talk national corporate sponsors: Comcast, King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Yahoo! and Wyeth Consumer Healthcare. Their support helps promote this important resource and demonstrates a real commitment to kids and families across the country.

The Partnership's strategic alliances with youth and parent-serving organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, YMCA of the USA, the National PTA, National Association of School Nurses and Dads & Daughters, are promoting Time To Talk to over 32 million members, volunteers and staff in local communities across the nation. Additionally, the American Pharmacists Association has pledged their support to spreading the Time To Talk message.

"Time To Talk is a tremendous opportunity for family-centric brands to become sponsors of a year round cause-related campaign that provides support to millions of families with children ages 8 to 18," said Debbie Kellogg, director corporate relations and alliances for the Partnership.

Multi-media public service advertising to raise awareness about TimeToTalk.org began airing nationally in August. New-York-based advertising agency Wunderman, and its creative director Nick Moore created television, print and banner advertising for the Time To Talk campaign and MacGuffin Films' Julian West directed the television spots. All creative work was produced pro bono and both Wunderman and MacGuffin donated their time and effort.

New Study Confirms Growing Needs for Parental Involvement in a Changing Drug Landscape

According to a national study released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the number of frequent discussions between parents and teens about the risks of drug abuse has decreased significantly.

The Partnership's 19th annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) is a nationally projectable deep analysis into parental attitudes and behaviors towards teen drug use. This 2006 PATS survey confirms a 12 percent decline from 2005 in the frequent discussions (four or more) between parents and their teens about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse (55 percent in 2005 down to 49 percent in 2006 among parents who had four or more discussions with their kids).

"At a time when teens are faced with new threats from the intentional abuse of medicines, parents are communicating less frequently with their kids about the very real health risks of drug and alcohol abuse," said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the Partnership. "The Partnership is taking immediate action and responding to the growing needs of parents by providing them with resources to help them feel informed and empowered to speak with their kids about making healthy choices for themselves."

Other top-line findings from the PATS study show that parents need more help starting the conversation with their teens. Nearly one-third of parents report they have a need for more information about drugs; 30 percent say they need tips on how to start a discussion about drugs; 37 percent report they want information on how to tell if a child is using drugs. For more information about the 2006 PATS parents study, visit http://www.drugfree.org/.

"The lives of today's teens are busier than ever before and parents and caregivers have to serve as 'air traffic' controllers, helping to manage all information and activities that are a part of their kids' routines," said Dr. Amelia Arria, a senior scientist at the Treatment Research Institute and a nationally recognized researcher on the identification of risk factors for adolescent and young adult drug involvement. "Parent involvement is a critical part of reducing a child's risk for substance abuse."

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a nonprofit organization uniting communications professionals, renowned scientists and parents. Best known for its national drug-education campaign, the Partnership's mission is to reduce illicit drug use in America. Now in its 20th year, the Partnership helps parents and caregivers effectively address drug and alcohol abuse with their children. A major new initiative now unfolding integrates the latest science and research with the most effective traditional media and digital communication techniques to give parents the tools, resources and support they need to help their children lead healthy lives. This effort - the first ever for the Partnership - will include a web-based interactive information resource center, parent-to-parent support network, a national toll-free call center and user-friendly online/offline tools. The Partnership depends on donations and support from individuals, corporations, foundations and government. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America meets the Better Business Bureau's rigorous Wise Giving Alliance's standards for charity accountability. The Partnership thanks SAG/AFTRA for their ongoing generosity.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America

CONTACT: Josie Feliz, Office, +1-212-973-3505, Mobile, +1-516-410-1919,or Jocelyn Johnson, Office, +1-646-619-1146, Mobile, +1-917-406-5886

Web site: http://timetotalk.org/http://www.drugfree.org/

Source: PRNewswire-USNewswire

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