For Parents & Educators

The Importance of Being Informed

The rise of the opioid epidemic has led to thousands of deaths across the country. Did you know that 98% of heroin addicts nationally surveyed, reported beginning their drug use with marijuana in their early teenage years? Being a parent or educator in today’s society involves being informed about the issues of substance misuse, it is more important now than ever before!

Talk About It

Knowing about current trends, along with how and when to talk to your teen/students can make a huge difference in their life. Did you know that when you talk to children about drug and alcohol use, you reduce their chances of becoming problem users by 50%?

Additional Drug Facts

Get even more information on this important topic

Drug Abuse Guide

Parent Drug Guide

Facts on Teen Drug Use

Teen Internet and Social Media Use

What You Need to Know

Young people are immersed in technology in ways previous generations could not have imagined. Common Sense Media has compiled this list of resources for parents seeking advice and information about how to help their children explore smartly and stay safe.

  • Talk openly with your teen about the issue.
  • No after school use until homework is done.
  • Install monitoring software.
  • Monitor use being aware that in many cases youth will create another account under a fake name.

Preventing Drug Use

What educators should know

Here are 6 easy ideas for integrating substance misuse prevention into your classroom:

  1. Create an environment where your students feel comfortable asking questions and expressing their feelings.
  2. Discover More. Learn about the most popular drugs of abuse and what they look like. Also, learn how to identify the potential warning signs of abuse.
  3. Raise Awareness. Hang posters in your classroom and have age appropriate prevention materials available for students and parents.
  4. Integrate drug education into your curriculum. Whether you teach science, or social studies, there are always teachable moments where you can integrate prevention into your curriculum.
  5. Build a good rapport with parents and school social workers/counselors.
  6. Collaborate with parents and school social workers/counselors to put together a well thought plan to assist a student that may be in need of support with this issue.

Monitoring the Future: 2015 Survey Results

Teen Suicide Prevention