Early conversations about drugs and alcohol are important for building trust

The March 2013 edition of Seattle's Child includes an article from "The Dad Next Door" about what parents can do to prevent youth substance abuse.

When providing advice about building trust he writes, "Start early, and keep it up.  Because one day, if you run out of trust, your options will be few, and none of them will be good."  If parents start talking with their kids about drugs and alcohol, set up family rules, and monitor their whereabouts before 8th grade, it will just become how things are done at home.  Establishing rules and starting to monitor children after they enter high school is much more difficult.

If you are a NE Seattle parent of a fifth grade student and don't know how to start a conversation with your child, two Prevention WINS coalition members can help.  They can provide free 30-minute presentations to NE Seattle parent groups about how to start talking now.