RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

Schools do their part to head off drug abuse by children and teens, but
parents really are the anti-drug.

The kids who stand the best chance of staying out of trouble are the ones
who develop a healthy opinion of themselves and their places in the overall
scheme of things, and that has to begin and end at home.

It's really hard for parents to know how to help make that happen in
today's cultural environment, but we can recommend some literature that
might help. Here are some booklets, brochures and Web sites that may be useful.

"Keeping Your Kids Drug-Free," a how-to guide for parents and caregivers
made available by the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, Office of
National Drug Control Policy. It addresses such things as opening lines of
communication, signs and symptoms, and scenarios that might seem
nightmarish if they haven't happened to you, such as what to do if you find
your kid with drugs. For a copy of the 55-page booklet, call (800) 788-2800.

"Marijuana: Facts for Teens," a revised editon from the National Institute
of Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, is a Q&A publication done in
a teen-friendly format. While the youth pictured in the pamphlet are teens,
the questions and answers are geared more to elementary school students.
For more informtion about the pamphlet, contact National Clearinghouse for
Alcohol and Drug Information, P.O. Box 2545, Rockville, MD 20847, or call
(800) 729-6686.

"Helping Your Children Navigate Their Teenage Years: A Guide for Parents"
comes from the White House Council on Youth Violence. It dates back to the
second Clinton administration but addresses such things as domestic
violence, depression, anger, parental substance abuse, bullying and much
more. For a copy, call (800) 789-2647.

"Alcoholism: Getting the Facts" (publication No. 96-4153) comes from the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. It describes what
alcoholism/alcohol abuse is and offers useful information on when and where
to seek help. The NIAAA also offers other titles: "Alcohol: What You Don't
Know Can Harm You" (No. 99-4323), "How to Cut Down on Your Drinking"
(96-3770) and "Frequently Asked Questions about Alcoholism and Alcohol
Abuse" (No. 01-4735). Write NIAAA Publications Distribution Center, P.O.
Box 10686, Rockville, MD 20849-0686, or go to the NIAAA Web site
(www.niaaa.nih.gov).

Note: Publication numbers for Spanish-language versions of the above
publications are the same as for English but with an "S" after each number.