Youth need parental involvement in order to make smart decisions about using substances or engaging in problem behavior. Particularly middle school age children. In fact, research shows that if the onset of substance use can be delayed until past age 15, the risks of problems associated with substance use decrease significantly.

According to the Virginia Community Youth Survey: 2000 prepared for the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, middle school students in Health Planning Region IV (HPR IV), which includes the City of Richmond and the Counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico, are most at risk.

In The Alliance service area:

• Middle school-age youth reported the highest rates of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use compared to their counterparts in the other Virginia regions; andl 23.2 % of middle school students reported smoking in the past thirty days—more than any other region in the state; and
• Among the four domains of risk and protective factors
  (individual/peer, family, school, and community) in HPR IV, “within the familydomain…‘family attachment’ has a lower rate of prevalence than in any of the other regions”; and
• There is a higher prevalence for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among 8th-grade youth

The Alliance aims to help reduce youth substance abuse by encouraging healthy family bonding (“family attachment”) through parent education, The Involvathon, and community outreach.

According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in Virginia alone:

• 17,000 kids under the age of 18 become new daily smokers each year; and
• 114,000 will die from smoking if current trends continue
  

According to the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, studies on drug use indicate that adolescents making the transition from elementary to middle school are the most vulnerable. In addition, the transition from age 12 to 13 marks the period for:

• the most dramatic increase in kids’ exposure to drugs;
• a decisive shift in kids’ attitudes about drugs; and
• a significant change in parental involvement in their children’s lives.

Youth in the pivotal “tween years” need and will respond to parental involvement but are at risk for losing it. According to the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation’s Youth Profile, 71.6 % of Virginia teens between the ages of 10 and 14 claim that their parents will influence their decision to smoke or not. Unfortunately, 58.8 % come from homes with smokers which increases the likelihood a teen will smoke, and 86.3 % will have smoked a “whole cigarette” by the time they are 14. This statistic is particularly alarming when compared to the Monitoring the Future Study (2000) that reports that nationally only 40.5 % of youth said they have tried cigarettes by the 8th grade.

Parents need to be educated about the power they have to send positive messages to their children about using substances and making healthy decisions. The Regional Drug-Free Alliance offers a proven program called Families That Care: Guiding Good ChoicesTM that teaches parents what to say, how to say it and when.

Guiding Good Choices is a series of five 2-hour workshops where parents and friends of children ages 9 - 14 learn effective parenting and communication skills. Clinical studies have shown a reduction in alcohol and marijuana use by up to 40.6% and and a reduction in the progression to more serious substance abuse by 54% in children from families where parents have participated in the program.

Materials and trainers are provided by The Alliance in exchange for class space, up to 20 participants, and a commitment to the program. Workshops can be held in the workplace and at faith-based and community organizations.

For more information, contact the parent education coordinator at
The Alliance by calling 804-377-3125 or by e-mail: education@drugfreealliance.org.