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From Elementary School to Middle School - Big Changes That Could Increase Your Child's Risk for Drug Use. What Parents Should Know

Just months ago he was the master of his universe, the envy of his younger schoolmates, so confident now that he was finally at the top of the elementary school totem pole. But that was then -- this is now. Now, the same child who thought he knew it all is learning his way around a new school, mixing with older kids, facing puberty, and, most likely, confronting decisions about drug use for the first time.

The truth is when kids make the leap from elementary school to junior high, their exposure to drugs increases dramatically. Recent studies show that one in 13 sixth graders have smoked marijuana. That figure jumps to an even more alarming one in five by the seventh grade -- an increase of nearly 300 percent.

What does this mean for parents of budding teens? Many parents have had "the talk" with their children. Others have yet to discuss the dangers of drugs with their child. Do it now. As parents, you do make a difference in your child's decision about whether to use drugs. Love, trust and recurring conversations about drugs and alcohol will help your child make the right choices in his or her new school and throughout the teen years.

Here are some specific tips for parents who want to help their children stay drug-free, courtesy of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign:

Make clear rules for your kids and enforce them consistently.

Tell your kids you don't want them using drugs - ever.

Know where your children are at all times: who they're spending time with, how to reach them, and when they'll be home.

Praise their positive behavior.

Help your child learn ways to say no to drugs, so that when drugs are offered they'll know how to reject them.

Spend some quality time with each child individually at least once a week.

Open an ongoing dialogue about the risks of drug abuse, and the benefits of living a drug-free life.

Let your kids know the immediate effects of drug use, such as doing poorly in school or disappointing the family.

Model the behavior you want your kids to learn. Your kids pay as much attention to your actions as they do to your words. Your own drug use, including alcohol and tobacco, has an impact on your kids.

For more information about keeping kids off drugs, visit http://www.theantidrug.com, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign online parenting resource. The site offers a brochure called "Parenting Skills: 21 Tips and Ideas to Help You Make a Difference," which may also be ordered by calling (800) 788-2800.

Reprinted with permission from ARA.

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