Raising Drug-Free Children

Extensive research has led to some simple strategies for raising a drug free child.  One of the most important is to take an active and involved role in raising your child. Joseph Califano, Jr. a national public figure and author on the subject of addictions and substance abuse, outlined nine facets of parental engagement in his book “How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid: The Straight Dope for Parents.”

• Be there: Get involved in your children’s lives and activities
• Open the lines of communication and keep them open
• Set a good example. Actions are more persuasive than words
• Set rules and expect your children to follow them
• Monitor your children’s whereabouts
• Maintain family rituals such as eating dinner together
• Incorporate religious and spiritual practices into family life
• Get Dad engaged, and keep him engaged
• Engage the larger family of your children’s friends, teachers, classmates, neighbors, and community

Joseph A. Califano, Jr. was a former United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and the founder and former chairman of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

Click this link for free literature on drugs and alcohol from the Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug and other Addiction Services.