Pubdate: Fri, 19 Jul 2013
Source: Caledon Enterprise, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2013 The Caledon Enterprise
Contact:  http://www.caledonenterprise.com/caledon-on/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4318
Author: Robyn Wilkinson

TALK TO KIDS ABOUT ADDICTION

You may not have tuned into the popular television/musical show 
'Glee' every week, but chances are your children have.

Which is why it's important for parents to talk to their teens and 
tweens about the sudden death of Canadian actor Cory Monteith who 
lost his battle with drug and alcohol addiction on Saturday.

The 31-year-old actor was found dead in a Vancouver hotel after 
overdosing on a mix of alcohol and heroin.

His death has left both children and adult viewers of the show 
shocked and saddened, and parents wondering how to talk to their 
young kids not only about death, but addiction and overdose as well.

Children will no doubt have questions about what happened to the 
character and person they came to know and love on TV. It's always 
shocking to learn when someone in the entertainment industry dies 
suddenly, but for young people that news can be especially difficult 
to understand.

Parents need to encourage their kids to express how they're feeling 
about what's happening, including all the media attention surrounding 
the case, and to ask any questions they might have. Not talking about 
it now may lead to confusing feelings in the future.

Teachers may have been tackling the issue during the school year in 
their classrooms, but with summer in full swing, parents need to be 
the ones to initiate the conversation about addiction, alcohol and drug abuse.

Monteith was no stranger to drugs and alcohol at a young age, he 
admitted using substances as young as 13-years-old. This is the same 
age of thousands of kids who watch the popular television show he 
starred in, which is why it's so important for parents to discuss the 
very real consequences of addiction with their children today.

While the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey of children in 
grades 7 through 12 has seen a decline over the years in the numbers 
of students found to be using a range of drugs and alcohol, the risk 
hasn't been eliminated. Parents need to discuss the dangers now.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom