The CADY Corner
Prevention is Everyone’s Business

The 12-year old sitting next to your son or daughter may be the one in 10 middle schoolers who already has tried alcohol. By 10th grade, one-third of teens are drinking alcohol monthly or more often, and may be encouraging your child to use it too! Drug use moves beyond the personal into the domain of public safety as well—the 2005 Teen Assessment Project (TAP) survey data indicated that one in three area youth (Pemi-Baker, Newfound and Lin-wood) reported riding in a car, in the past month, with a driver who was under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Illicit drugs are another problem. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), CADY’s major grantor and the lead Federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States, of the adults who used marijuana for several years, more than half report using marijuana for the first time between the ages of 12 to 17.

I believe these numbers from SAMHSA prove we must start early and do a better job preventing underage drinking and drug use for the health of our children and the safety of our communities. For sure, we know that before age 12, kids need to know how to refuse alcohol and drugs.

Effective prevention is the same—whether the focus is cancer, diabetes, or kids using alcohol. They all require education to change attitudes and promote healthy behavior. Prevention Works! We can start protecting kids better by investing in community support programs and safety at the local level.

This includes protecting children from violence on streets, playgrounds and cyberspace, preventing bullying, and prohibiting the use of alcohol and other drugs. Safety also includes offering a variety of supervised positive youth activities that help build skills and self-confidence. Volunteer activities also help youth feel pride in giving back to their community.

Family communication is important—youth who don’t use alcohol and other drugs say their parents are a major factor in that decision. Youth thrive when parents stay actively involved—know your teen’s friends and monitor activities, set limits with consistent consequences, and frequently discuss your expectations and the risks of use. Be sure to send a strong and consistent message—no alcohol, no tobacco, no drugs, no way!

A major part of CADY’s coalition work is to inform and educate on changing trends and behaviors—we accomplish that goal through assessment, evidence-based programming, and collaborations with our many community partners including youth organizations, youth, families, community centers, recreation groups, volunteers, law enforcement, juvenile justice, schools, local businesses, the media, the faith community, Plymouth State University, and so many others.

We have many one time or ongoing volunteer opportunities available that enrich the lives of our youth and invest in our communities. If you would like to join us in keeping kids safe by creating and promoting healthy behaviors, positive activities, or making a financial contribution, please visit our website, www.cadyinc.org, to see the array of CADY opportunities and contact us at 536-9793.

For an extensive Drug Slang Dictionary, click here.