HOW TO TELL WHEN TUCKSHOP MONEY IS GOING TO POT

PARENTS should stop handing out money for tuckshop and school buses
because their children could be using it for drugs, according to the
author of a new book about marijuana addiction.

And they should consider Apprehended Violence Orders for children who
are violent towards them, said Raelene Hill, author of Gone to Pot,
which was released yesterday.

Drugs were ingrained in the school system, she said, and parents "have
to get informed and bring control back into their own home".

"There are very simply things parents can do to deter their children
from taking drugs," Ms Hill said.

"One is you can put a bar on the phone. If you find your young person
is using the phone more than the normal teenager and constantly has a
changing parade of friends, they could be doing deals."

"Also be clever with money - instead of giving out tuckshop money,
encourage the school to have a coupon system."

The book warns families to look out for shrinking garden hoses and
missing tea strainers, alfoil [aluminum foil] or - scissors which may turn
up in a
child's room as signs of marijuana abuse.

"Every adolescent is a bit chaotic but you're also looking for
heightened aggression towards parents and teachers which take the form
of foul language, truancy, poor performance at school and actual
exclusion from school," Ms Hill said.

But Youth Affairs Network of Queensland director Bernice Smith
disagreed that withholding tuckshop money would limit marijuana use.

"If used - a punitive measure with distrust as the underlying reason,
then other problems will arise," Ms Smith said.

"Parenting is about establishing relationship and trust."

Family Studies professor Pat Noller said over-control by parents, like
monitoring phone calls, could push adolescents further into drugs.

"I'd be encouraging more positive things and leave over-control for
desperate situations because you may just lose your kids," Professor
Noller said.

"The family environment is so critical - to whether kids are going to
try or we drugs - if the environment is open and facilitative and they
feel comfortable and happy, it will keep them from going to drugs."

"And be ready to listen to them when they want to talk, be flexible
with them so they feel as though you trust them."

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady