DRUG CZAR URGES PARENTS TO 'TALK TURKEY'

Barry R. McCaffrey, Director of the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy, urges parents to take advantage of the long Thanksgiving
weekend to talk to their children about drugs.

Director McCaffrey encourages parents to think of Friday, Nov. 26, as "Talk
Turkey Day" and cites research showing that youth whose parents talk with
them about substance abuse are less likely to use drugs. "The most
important work in drug prevention takes place around the family dinner
table," McCaffrey said. "Despite what parents may think, teens and
pre-teens do listen to their parents about difficult topics."

Studies show that youth who learn from parents or caregivers about the
risks of drugs are 36 percent less likely to smoke marijuana than youth who
don't hear about drugs from their parents. In fact, most teens who have
rejected marijuana credit their parents with this decision.

Yet, nearly half the mothers and fathers in America mistakenly think they
have very little influence over their teenagers' behavior in connection
with alcohol and drugs.

Part of the problem is denial. According to a 1997 survey conducted by the
Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 44 percent of teens reported using
marijuana but only 21 percent of parents think their children use drugs.

When parents talk to their children about drugs, Director McCaffrey
recommends the following:

1. Be absolutely clear with your children that you don't want them to use
drugs. Don't leave room for interpretation. Talk often -- more than once or
twice a year -- about the dangers of drug and alcohol use.

2. Be a better listener. Ask -- and encourage -- questions. Solicit your
child's input regarding family decisions. Showing a willingness to listen
will make your child feel more comfortable about opening up to you.

3. Give honest answers. Don't make up what you don't know. If asked whether
you've ever taken drugs, let them know what's important: that you don't
want them using drugs.

4. Use TV reports, anti-drug commercials, and news or school discussions
about drugs to help introduce the subject in a natural, unforced manner.

5. Don't react in a way that will cut off further discussion. If your child
says things that challenge or shock you, respond with a calm discussion of
why people use drugs and whether doing so is worth the risk.

6. Role-play with your child and practice ways to refuse drugs in different
situations. Acknowledge how tough these moments can be.

For more tips and ideas on how to "talk turkey" about drugs with their
children, parents should visit www.theantidrug.com. This new web site is
devoted exclusively to parents who want to learn how to talk with youth
about illicit drugs. The site also allows parents to download or order
English or Spanish brochures called "Parenting Skills: 21 Tips and Ideas to
Help You Make a Difference."

The brochure can also be ordered by phone at 800-788-2800. America Online
members also can visit the Parents' Drug Resource Center (AOL Keyword: Drug
Help) and can guide their children to It's Your Life (AOL Keyword: Your Life).

In 1997 with bipartisan support of the Congress and the President, ONDCP
created the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign -- an effort designed
to educate and empower all youth to reject illicit drugs. The Campaign
relies on ads developed by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

In less than two years, the Campaign's messages have become ubiquitous in
the lives of America's youth and their parents. From network television
advertisements to school-based educational materials, from youth basketball
backboards to Internet Web sites, and from cultural community festivals to
sitcom story lines, the Campaign's messages reach Americans wherever they
are: at work, play, school and home.

Additional information can also be found at:

http://www.mediacampaign.org