Pubdate: Mon, 22 Aug 2005
Source: Pacific Daily News (US GU)
Copyright: 2005 Pacific Daily News
Contact: http://www.guampdn.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.guampdn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1122
Author: Oyaol Ngirairikl
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

OPEN AND HONEST

(Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles aimed at
helping parents talk to their kids about substance abuse. Today's
article focuses on talking to kids in middle school.)

Be straight up.

That's the one thing parents should remember when they talk to their
kids about drugs and alcohol, said Guam National Guard Staff Sgt. John
Pangelinan.

Pangelinan is the section administrator for the Guard's Counterdrug
Program, Drug Demand Reduction Section. The National Guard Counterdrug
program has become a familiar group among Guam's youth, with many
visits made to schools and youth events.

Pangelinan said the approach the Counterdrug program takes is a simple
one that parents can do at home as well.

"We tell students: We are here to tell you what a drug dealer won't
tell you. This drug is addictive. It can kill you. It can cause you to
lose your family," Pangelinan said.

Pangelinan said the "straight up" approach is so important because
many children in middle school already know something about drugs and
alcohol abuse.

"Back when (I was) in middle school, things were so different. When
you walk into a middle school now and talk to some of these kids you
can see the difference in their eyes. They know things that I don't
think I knew about until high school or even later," he said.

Today's teenagers don't buy the argument that trying a "milder" drug,
like smoking cigarettes, means they'll soon be shooting heroin because
they rarely see it happening in real life, writes author and licensed
clinical social worker Carleton Kendrick, in the article "Teens,
Drugs, and Alcohol" on the Family Education Web site.

"In place of scary theories, you can give them facts. You and your
teen should know the names of all popular drugs, what effects they
have on young minds and bodies (short- and long-term), and the legal
penalties for drug possession and use," Kendrick states.

"Tell them that drugs and alcohol make teens more prone to dangerous
accidents. Tell them that they can never trust the quality of drugs or
know exactly how they will respond to them. Tell them that drugs can
poison and kill them. Tell them that their lives are too precious to
take these chances. Tell them that you love them."

Pangelinan said one question that has popped up often at presentations
in middle and high schools is: "Have you ever used drugs?" or
variations of that question.

Pangelinan said parents can have a difficult time answering that
question if they have have had a history of drug use.

"It's easy for me to answer because I've never done drugs and I don't
drink alcohol. But it's tough if you're a parent and you have done
something in the past, but you have to be honest about answering that
question," Pangelinan said.

The best thing for a parent to do is to give their child an honest
answer, he said, and use it as a platform to discuss the circumstances
that led to drug use.

"Tell children that you want them them to learn from your mistakes,"
Pangelinan said. "If you lie, you lose the children's trust and
respect, and they won't listen to anything you say even though it's
for their benefit."

Pangelinan said the Counterdrug program stresses the importance of
communication between parents and their children.

"You always hear that you should talk with your children about drugs
starting at a young age," Pangelinan said.

"And that's definitely the truth. But the other thing is you can't
stop talking to them about drugs and alcohol because, as they get
older, the type of pressure they have to deal with can change -- it
gets worse and it's harder to say no."

Other issues the Counterdrug program discusses are communication and
self-esteem.

"It all ties into drugs. People with low self-esteem or people who
feel like they don't fit into a crowd can easily be influenced to join
a gang, or do drugs," Pangelinan said.

Pangelinan said programs such as the National Guard Counterdrug
program exist to help parents and students talk and deal with drugs
and alcohol that somehow gets onto school campuses and
neighborhoods.

"We always let students know that there are people who are in the
community to help." 
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