Pubdate: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 Source: Courier-Mail, The (Australia) Page: 18 Contact: http://www.thecouriermail.com.au/ Copyright: News Limited 1998 Author: Ali Lawlor, Youth Affairs Writer HOW TO TELL WHEN TUCKSHOP MONEY IS GOING TO POT PARENTS should stop handing out money for tuckshop and school buses because their children could be using it for drugs, according to the author of a new book about marijuana addiction. And they should consider Apprehended Violence Orders for children who are violent towards them, said Raelene Hill, author of Gone to Pot, which was released yesterday. Drugs were ingrained in the school system, she said, and parents "have to get informed and bring control back into their own home". "There are very simply things parents can do to deter their children from taking drugs," Ms Hill said. "One is you can put a bar on the phone. If you find your young person is using the phone more than the normal teenager and constantly has a changing parade of friends, they could be doing deals." "Also be clever with money - instead of giving out tuckshop money, encourage the school to have a coupon system." The book warns families to look out for shrinking garden hoses and missing tea strainers, alfoil [aluminum foil] or - scissors which may turn up in a child's room as signs of marijuana abuse. "Every adolescent is a bit chaotic but you're also looking for heightened aggression towards parents and teachers which take the form of foul language, truancy, poor performance at school and actual exclusion from school," Ms Hill said. But Youth Affairs Network of Queensland director Bernice Smith disagreed that withholding tuckshop money would limit marijuana use. "If used - a punitive measure with distrust as the underlying reason, then other problems will arise," Ms Smith said. "Parenting is about establishing relationship and trust." Family Studies professor Pat Noller said over-control by parents, like monitoring phone calls, could push adolescents further into drugs. "I'd be encouraging more positive things and leave over-control for desperate situations because you may just lose your kids," Professor Noller said. "The family environment is so critical - to whether kids are going to try or we drugs - if the environment is open and facilitative and they feel comfortable and happy, it will keep them from going to drugs." "And be ready to listen to them when they want to talk, be flexible with them so they feel as though you trust them." - --- Checked-by: Rich O'Grady