Parenting Tips from the National Institute of
Drug Abuse
-
Open a continuing conversation with your child about
tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.
-
Be absolutely clear with your kids that you do not
want them using drugs.
-
Be a better listener.
-
Give honest answers.
-
Use TV reports, anti-drug commercials, or school
discussions to help you introduce the subject.
-
Do not react in a way that will cut off further discussion.
-
Role-play with your child.
-
Learn to really listen to your child.
-
Encourage your child to feel comfortable telling
you about problems they may be having and to ask you to help.
-
You might try rephrasing a child’s comments
to indicate that you have understood or give non-verbal support and encouragement
by nodding and smiling.
-
Use a caring tone of voice to answer a child and
use encouraging phrases to express interest and keep the conversation
going.
-
Be more involved in your children’s lives.
-
Establish "together time."
-
Have family meetings.
-
Do not be afraid to ask where your kids are going,
who they will be with, and what they will be doing.
-
Try to be there after school.
-
Eat meals together as often as you can.
-
Help your child deal with peer pressure.
-
Be a good role model.
-
Be a living, day-to-day example of your value system.
-
Know that there is no such thing as "Do as I
say, not as I do" when it comes to drugs.
-
Examine your own behavior.
-
Be prepared to answer if your child asks, "Did
you ever use drugs?"
-
Praise and reward positive behavior.
-
Make your position clear.
-
Make clear and consistent family rules.
-
Discuss the consequences of breaking the rules.
-
Consistently enforce rules.
-
"Punishments" should involve mild, not severe,
negative consequences.
-
Set a curfew.
-
Have kids check in at regular times when they are
away from home or school.
-
Call parents whose home is to be used for a party.
-
Make it easy for your child to leave a party where
drugs are being used.
-
Listen to your instincts.
- Changes in friends.
- Negative changes in schoolwork, missing school, or declining grades.
- Use of incense, room deodorant, or perfume to hide smoke or chemical
odors.
- Subtle changes in conversations with friends, e.g., more secretive, using
“coded” language.
- Change in clothing choices: new fascination with clothes that highlight
drug use.
- Increase in borrowing money.
- Evidence of drug paraphernalia, such as pipes, rolling papers, etc.
- Evidence of use of inhalant products (e.g., hairspray, nail polish, correction
fluid, common household products); rags and paper bags are sometimes used
as accessories.
- Bottles of eye drops, which may be used to cover up bloodshot eyes or
dilated pupils.
- New use of mouthwash or breath mints to cover up the smell of alcohol.
- Missing prescription drugs – especially narcotics and mood stabilizers.
Teen Drinking and Drug Use: Tips for Parents
- Set rules. Let your teen know that drug and alcohol use is unacceptable
and that these rules are set to keep him or her safe.
- Praise and reward good behavior for compliance and enforce consequences
for non-compliance.
- Know where your teen is and what he or she will be doing during unsupervised
time.
- Talk to your teen. While shopping or riding in the car, casually ask
your teen how things are going at school, about his/her friends, etc.
- Keep them busy -- especially between 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Check on your teenager.
- Establish a “core values statement” for your family.
- Spend time together as a family regularly and be involved in your kids’
lives.
- Take time to learn the facts about marijuana and underage drinking.
- Get to know your teen’s friends (and their parents).
- Stay in touch with the adult supervisors of your child (camp counselors,
coaches, teachers, employers) and have them inform you of any changes in
your teen.
Parents’ Legal Rights
It is not uncommon for parents to wonder what rights they have regarding their
minor children. The following are answers to commonly asked questions regarding
the legal rights of parents.
Q: Can I search my child’s room?
A: Yes, as long as your child is living under your roof,
you have the right to do anything you wish in your home. You can even remove
the door, if you desire.
Q: Is there a curfew in Santa Clarita?
A: Yes. The City of Santa Clarita has a curfew ordinance
between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. for juveniles under the age of 18. Juveniles
loitering during curfew hours may be cited or detained by the Sheriffs.
Q: What happens to kids who are truant?
A: Truancy is absence from school without permission from
school officials or parents. California law requires juveniles between 7-17
years old who have not completed 12th grade to attend school. Students over
16 years old who are employed may attend school part-time with school approval.
Juveniles caught loitering during school hours may be cited or detained by
the Sheriffs.
Q: What is the legal drinking age?
A: The legal drinking age in California is 21 years old.
It is against the law for anyone under the age of 21 years old to purchase
or consume alcohol.
Q: My child is 16 years old and smokes. Is this legal?
A: No. The legal age for smoking is 18 years old. It is illegal
for persons under 18 years old to purchase, possess, or consume any tobacco
products.
Q: Can I have my child drug tested?
A: Yes. Contact the City of Santa Clarita’s DADS program
(Link to DADS section) at (661) 255-4965, or ACTION at (661) FOR-TEENS.
Q: Am I allowed to spank my child?
A: Yes, as long as you are not physically abusing your child.
Q: What can I do if my child refuses to go to school?
A: Contact your child’s School Resource Deputy at his/her
school, or call the SCV Sheriff’s Station at (661) 255-1121.
Juveniles are subject to many additional legal restrictions. For more information
on your legal rights, contact the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station at
(661) 255-1121, or visit their web site at www.scvsheriff.com
Drugs and Alcohol Facts and Resource Guide
For your convenience, the following websites may provide you with additional
information on drugs, alcohol, and related issues:
This is not a comprehensive list of resources. If you need additional written
information or references, contact the City of Santa Clarita’s Community
Services Division at (661) 255-4965.
Información Acerca de las Drogas y el Alcohol
Para su conveniencia, el siguiente sitio en el Internet le puede proveer
información en español acerca de las drogas, el alcohol, y temas
relacionados:
www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/lista-sp.html
www.nida.nih.gov/NIDAEspanol.html
Si necesita más información o recursos, llame
a City of Santa Clarita, Community Services Division, al (661) 255-4965.
