Pubdate: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 Source: Pacific Daily News (US GU) Copyright: 2005 Pacific Daily News Contact: http://www.guampdn.com/customerservice/contactus.html Website: http://www.guampdn.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1122 GETTING INVOLVED There is no simple, magical solution to the problem of youth drug abuse. That being the case, there are many things that we in the community can do to help prevent drug use among our youths. It all starts with the family. Children's first "classroom" is the home, and parents are the teachers, imparting character, values and manners to their students. Key to this education is not just preaching it to children, but modeling it, as well. If you tell your children not to smoke, drink or use drugs, and then you smoke, drink or use drugs, it sends a contradictory message. Do as I say and not as I do simply doesn't work. As children get older, it's important for parents to stay involved in their children's lives. Open communication is a key component for parents to know what's going on with their kids. If you have trouble relating to your children, don't be afraid to ask for help. There are places to get some advice, such as the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Visit its Web site at www.nida.nih.gov/Prevention/Prevopen.html. Schools can play a supplementary role to what children learn at home. First, by expanding the education to teach the dangers of drugs and the ramifications of drug use. Second, schools offer a wide variety of events, clubs and activities that help keep youths busy and thus away from drugs. The key here is the variety -- some students are into sports, while others are into computers, or art, or music. There are a lot of these kinds of activities in the community, as well, offered by a variety of organizations, groups and churches, from soccer clubs to martial arts classes, dance groups 4-H clubs and more. Whatever your child's interest, you're sure to find an activity or two that he or she will enjoy. Again, the key is involvement. Our children need to know that we care, and that we're going to be there for them when they need us. Getting that message across will go a long way toward keeping our youths away from drug use. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek