Ana Gonzalez & John Williams • Osborne High School Parent Corps (GA)

Here is an excerpt of what Pride Surveys has written in an article letting the public know what parents think about prevention programs:

"By margins of 3-to-1 or more, American parents believe that efforts to prevent adolescent alcohol and drug use and violence are effective.

That's the opinion of more than 17,000 parents across the United States who responded to the Pride Survey for Parents. They showed strong support for efforts such as school-based drug education, community coalitions, student assistance programs and after-school activities.

Two-thirds of those parents (66%) said their school does a good job of teaching students about the harm of drug use, and nearly half (49%) said their community has an anti-drug coalition.

Parents were asked to rate various strategies to keep young people away from alcohol and drugs.

A majority (56%) said school-based alcohol and drug education was effective, compared to just 16% who called the strategy ineffective – a more than 3-to-1 margin.

Two-thirds of parents (63%) said that schools keeping parents informed of drug use and violent occurrences is an effective strategy.

The work of community coalitions was rated effective by 55%, compared to just 18% who said ineffective.

After-school activities, and early assistance and treatment for students who have begun drug use, were viewed as effective by 60% or more of parents.

While giving high marks to community institutions, nearly three out of four respondents (71%) said that parents themselves are most responsible for keeping young people healthy and safe.

The parents responded to the Pride Surveys Questionnaire for Parents during the 2004-05 school year. They were asked to rate 21 separate strategies to keep children away from alcohol, drugs and violence. Overall, 60% of the parents found the strategies effective; 17% found them ineffective; and 23% were undecided."

For more information about the parents survey please visit: https://www.pridesurveys.com/index.html

When it comes to driving, parents worry about their children safety. The best support you can offer to your child is information and training. Here are some links that can assist you:
http://www.teendriving.com/
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/health_safety/teen_driving.shtml
http://www.lhj.com/home/Teen-Driving.html
http://www.teendrivingfoundation.org/
http://www.teendriving.org/

Oh! but you can also have peace of mind by monitoring their speed, click these links to know how:
http://www.drivehomesafe.com/
http://www.georgiateen.com/
http://www.mobileteengps.com/

In 2003, almost 23 percent (54 million) of Americans participated in binge drinking within 30 days prior to taking SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) . That same year, approximately 21.6 million adults abused alcohol or were alcohol dependent.

To recognize the serious problem of alcohol abuse, April is designated “Alcohol Awareness Month.” April 8 marks the annual observance of National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) . At locations across the United States, people can be screened—anonymously—to see if their drinking habits may be risky.

Participants who come into a screening site on April 8 will have the opportunity to view an educational presentation and pick up educational materials, such as a questionnaire that screens for risky drinking and dependence. People can also meet one-on-one with a health professional to discuss any concerns. The screenings are free and anonymous.

Last year, more than 203,000 people participated in NASD activities at more than 5,400 screening sites nationwide—the largest NASD yet!

If you suspect that you might have a drinking problem, or you know someone who abuses alcohol, please contact SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at 1-800-729-6686 or find a screening site located near you.

from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
http://www.health.org/seasonal/aprilalcohol/