FREE Substance Abuse Education Seminar For Parents In May At DCIU

Straight Talk for Parents in Delaware County

   What have Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Britney Spears, and Mel Gibson all had in common besides fame and fortune? A drug or alcohol problem. Unfortunately, many of our children are following their examples and getting involved with dangerous substances at increasingly earlier ages. The average age of a child’s first alcoholic drink is now 8-12 and a teenager’s first experiment with marijuana is occurring at age 13.

    In a 2008 survey of youth by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 40% of American teens reported that they believed prescription medications were safer to use than illicit drugs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2007 that 45% of high school students, regardless of gender, were drinking alcohol, many to the point of regular bingeing.

  So what is a parent, grandparent, or other caregiver to do?

    Drug Free Pennsylvania, one of the Commonwealth’s premier non-profit organizations in educating adults about substance abuse, will be holding a FREE seminar for parents in partnership with the Delaware County  Intermediate Unit #25 (DCIU) 7 p.m. Tuesday, (May 17) at the Intermediate Unit, 200 Yale Avenue, Morton. Not only will participants learn about the kinds of substances now making their way into schools, communities and homes, but those in attendance will be taught strategies to help young people avoid the substances. So whether parents have preschoolers or new college students, there will be information for all.

  The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency is providing the funding for the seminar and there is a need to pre-register as seating is limited. Register through Drug Free Pennsylvania’s website at http://www.drugfreepa.org/seminar/dciu.asp.

    For information, contact Dr. Glenn Zehner, Educational Programs Director at zehner@drugfreepa.org.