Health: Substance Abuse Drugs, Tobacco, Alcohol

Preventing substance abuse, or coping with it when it happens, are topics of concern for today's parents. The following articles help parents understand what's going on in society, provide preventative measures, or coping strategies. Other areas to refer to are Preventative Care and General Health and Medicine.

Our rating system for these Substance Abuse articles is:

• - Best, in depth and most helpful overall
• - Very Good, but more specific in focus
• - Good reference material

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	How Can We Enable Children To Live A Drug-Free Life? Parents play an important role in educating their children about drugs, but they cannot do it alone. Other groups also exert strong influence over children, including the school, clubs, and teams. Schools can increase children's awareness of the negative effects of drug use and equip them with skills to resist drug and alcohol use. When parents and schools work together within the context of the larger community, they gain the consensus that will strengthen drug prevention efforts.
	Marijuana: Facts For Teens An informative brochure for teenagers about the effects of marijuana. It includes a list of questions and answers such as "Does marijuana affect school, sports, or other activities?" and "How can you tell if someone has been using marijuana?"
	Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know A very informative brochure for parents about the effects of marijuana on teenagers. It includes a list of questions and answers such as "What are the current slang terms for marijuana?" and "How long does marijuana stay in the user's body?"
	Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent's Guide To Prevention Today the widespread use of alcohol and other drugs subjects our children, families, and communities to pressures unheard of 30 or 40 years ago. Frankly, many of us need help to deal with this frightening threat to our children's health and well-being. Recent surveys show that we are making progress in our national battle against some drugs, but more is needed. This excellent article is filled with ideas, steps and advice to help parents prevent drug use and is organized by grade level, starting at preschool and continuing on through 12th grade.
	Inhalants: A Parent's Guide to Preventing Inhalant Abuse Every year, young people in this country die of inhalant abuse. Hundreds suffer severe consequences, including permanent brain damage, loss of muscle control, and destruction of the heart, blood, kidney, liver, and bone marrow. This guide will help you identify inhalant abuse and understand what you can do to prevent or stop this problem.
	Substance Exposed Infants and Children The problems associated with prenatal substance abuse are increasing and have serious implications for the future educational needs of the children and families affected. Services, programs, and strategies that have been developed in the field of special education will have a role to play in meeting their needs.
	Urban School-Community Parent Programs To Prevent Drug Use The role that youth drug use plays in school failure, violence, and anti-social and self-destructive behavior is well known. It is also known that parents strongly influence their children's decisions about drug use.This article briefly discusses some ways to involve families in their children's drug prevention education.
	A Guide to Youth Smoking Prevention Policies and Programs This Parent Guide from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education provides many policies, programs, and practices for schools, communities, and families to combat youth smoking. Specific points which are important to include in anti-smoking education campaigns are also provided.
	Seven Major Issues of 1997 Facing Girls in the United States Violence, economic opportunity and changing family dynamics are three of the seven issues facing girls between the ages of five and seventeen in this country, according to the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
	Performance-Enhancing Drug Abuse Pervades Sports The authors believe it is important for athletes, coaches and parents to understand the full extent of the dangers and effects of drugs in sports.
	5th-Graders Mistakenly View Cigarette Smoking as Normal Adult Habit By the time they are preteens, children tend to view smoking cigarettes as a normal adult habit even though most adults do not smoke, a study by researchers at the University of South Florida College of Public Health found.
	On the Teen Scene: Young People Talk with FDA Commissioner About Smoking FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler, M.D., was a guest on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" to discuss smoking with several teenagers. Here are excerpts from that broadcast, hosted by Ray Suarez.)
	Resources to Help Parents Begin the Discussion on Tough Issues Talking With Kids About Tough Issues is a new joint initiative by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Children Now, and The Advertising Council, to encourage and help parents of young children start talking early about life's tough issues, including sex, AIDS, violence, and alcohol and drug abuse.
	Ounce of Prevention Study Finds School Clinics Effective A federally funded study of school-based health centers in Chicago high schools has determined that the clinics were effective in reducing cigarette and marijuana use and detecting sexually transmitted diseases, but must increase mental health services to address widespread student depression.
	Pediatricians Hail and Defend FDA Tobacco Rule In this news story, the American Academy of Pediatrics enthusiastically supports the final U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plan to reduce youth tobacco use.