PARENTS ADVISED ON DRUGS

Parents will be told not to ridicule or criticise drug-taking in a $20
million national campaign aimed at preventing drug abuse among teenagers.

The campaign will tell parents how to raise the topic of drugs with their
children and how to explain the dangers of taking illicit drugs such as
marijuana, ecstasy and heroin.

The campaign begins on March 25 through television, radio and newspaper
advertisements. After the broadcast campaign starts, a pamphlet will be
sent to every Australian household.

Parents of children aged 12 to 17 will be the target of the initiative, the
latest plank in the government's "Tough on Drugs" strategy. The pamphlet
contains a 10-step approach to help parents talk to their children. It
tells parents not to lecture about drugs, to avoid conflict on the topic
and to open the lines of communication when children are young.