HOW TO DRUG PROOF YOUR KIDS--PARENTS PROGRAM SET TO BEGIN

Informed parents are the best prevention against children using drugs,
but where do they go to get practical help and useful information?

Sault Ste. Marie FOCUS Coalition will host a drug education,
prevention and intervention program entitled How to Drug Proof Your
Kids, beginning Thursday, Nov. 11, to inform parents on how to reduce
the potential risk factors and help prevent the use of drugs by their
children.

How to Drug Proof Your Kids begins Thursday, Nov. 11, and will be held
at the Family Prevention Resource Centre at 175 Pim St. It will start
at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. Bookings are required. For more
information, call the course facilitators Kristine Service,
Alternatives for Youth Program of Algoma Family Services at 945-5050
ext. 2409; or Lee Fraser from the Family Preservation Resource Centre
of the Children's Aid Society at 949-0101 ext. 100.

Created by Focus on the Family, Australia, this award-winning program
consists of six two-hour sessions costing a nominal fee designed to
equip parents with practical communication skills, critical
strategies, and an action plan to help their children make healthy
lifestyle choices.

Research shows that parent education and involvement dramatically
reduces the risk by nearly half of young people taking drugs.

Included in the professional course manual are an overview of Canada's
drug problem, why kids take drugs, how to educate children to make
good choices, prevention tools for parents, how to intervene, where to
get help, and a guide to dealing with any relapses.

This program focuses on prevention and intervention. Led by trained
facilitators, it includes eye-opening statistics, counselling referral
information, and access to a large range of resources.

"This program is in response to the hundreds of parents who have
contacted our office, frightened for their children and families, and
frustrated in their attempts to help their children," says Glenn
Williams, executive director of Focus on the Family, Australia, a
non-profit organization whose goal is to strengthen Australia's
families. "This program is for every parent crying out "Tell me how?"