Transcript A.W.A.R.E. A.S.A.P. - Lakeland Regional High School

Lakeland Regional High School District
Ringwood School District/ Wanaque School District
and
A.W.A.R.E. A.S.A.P.
The Alliance of Wanaque and Ringwood for Education and Awareness
For Substance Abuse Prevention
Photos not local…
A.W.A.R.E.
A.S.A.P.
 The Alliance of Wanaque
 And Ringwood
 For EDUCATION
 And AWARENESS for Substance Abuse
Prevention
 Started in 1988
You can FIND THIS PPT. FILE:
 http://www.lakeland.k12.nj.us/Page/2243
 ON the Lakeland Regional website
FACULTY PAGES
 FOR
 Raymond Danziger
Under Crossing Points info
[Pre]-TEENS: DRINKING
AND DRUGS And
SMOKING
“4. Why Teens Use”

Many factors and situations affect teen’s
choice whether or not to use
 Fitting In
 Sex
 Socializing
 Emotional Pain
 Transitions
A 15 year old’s brain image:
Not a drinker
A 15 year old’s brain
image:
a drinker
After some years of regular
drinking…
Being
drunk may
be your
excuse…
But it
doesn’t
change
what
happened!!
IF YOU WEREN’T DRINKING:
 WOULD YOU?
 Get in the car with someone who has used
alcohol or other drugs?
 Kiss someone you didn’t think you would?
 Take off some clothing?
 Do things with others you usually would say “no”
to?
[throw stuff, fight, cheer for others to do
stupid things, lie to PARENTS, tell secrets you
swore you wouldn’t, etc.]
According to a report from PRIDE surveys, parents
dramatically underestimate alcohol and drug use
by adolescents as young as 11 years of age.
Sixth-graders reporting use
 21% reported alcohol use
 8.3% reported drug use

Twelfth-graders reporting use
 68% report alcohol use
 36% report drug use
Parents saying sixth-grader uses
5% said there was alcohol use
0.9% said there was drug use

Parents saying twelfth-grader uses
41% said there was alcohol use
15% said there was drug use

Source: Pride Surveys National Summary for Grades 6-12, 2004-05
What does your child see?
How much is ever left?
“I’ve had enough…”
“yeah,
you can dump the rest”
Parent Messages
MAJORLY IMPACTFUL
“It’ll never happen to ME!” is magical
thinking…Each of us is “somebody else”
PARENT DISAPPROVAL [discussed over time]
&
Fear of Police/School trouble
shown to be the most important factors
for youth to say “NO"
A large majority of young teens -- 12 and 13 -- believe
that their folks would strongly disapprove of
substance abuse, but not quite as many older teens -16 and 17 -- believe their parents would strongly
disapprove, according to a 2007 report from the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
Keep sending the message that you
disapprove of substance abuse
throughout your child’s teen years.
From National Institute of Drug Abuse [NIDA]
Teens in Europe and USA [2007]
BUT…ITS JUST MARIJUANA
And it’s almost legal now, or should be,
And no one ever died from it,
And I’m just being a teenager and having fun,
And no one gets addicted to it anyway.
And I know parents who get high,
So WHY SHOULD ANYONE CARE?!!
LRHS student conversations with Student Assistance Counselor Ray Danziger:
Well, as we kept talking, she admitted she knew her personality had
changed due to smoking marijuana, she had dropped friends, she was
nasty at home, and she didn’t care as much as she used to about school.
Here‘s what other students have told me regarding smoking marijuana
and their reactions:
“Now that I’ve been clean for four weeks, I feel that my head is clearer, I
can think straight again.”
“I can’t believe I can do math now…I thought I was stupid, but it was just
the weed in my brain”
“I have more energy now when I wake up; I actually want to do things”
“At least I’m not gaining weight anymore from the munchies!”
“My parents are beginning to trust me again…I’ve stopped
lying and it just feels so much easier”
And from a 14 yr. old girl who was still a very active user:
“Dr. D: I’m sorry, but I don’t remember what we were just talking
about…I guess it could be the weed”
“Since I’ve stopped, I’m not fighting with my parents much
anymore. I’m surprised, but we’re actually getting along
most of the time”
May 2, 2011: “I actually like being this way better. I had a lot of fun
at Bamboozle; if I had gotten high I would only remember that and
not all the good music and fun I really had.”
“I just broke up with my girlfriend, and I guess since I was getting high
for the past two years to deal with my feelings, I don’t know how to
handle this”
2012: a young man:
I’m getting along better now with my parents. Weed is just stupid. I
thought the school was just trying to mess with my life, but now I see
you really were trying to help. I’m actually happier now.
How long have you been clean: about 2 wks.
“I feel clearer; my mind is just clearer; its better.”
“When I think of the hundreds of dollars or more that I smoked away…I
could be buying clothes or something”

Rx pain relievers
(Vicodin ,Percocet, OxyContin)

Rx stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin)

Rx anti-anxiety/anti-depressants
(Xanax, Valium, etc.)

OTC cough/cold with ‘DXM’ (Robitussin,
Coricidin)
•
Street drugs are generally considered
more dangerous
•
Parents are less familiar with “pills” –
they often have no frame of reference
since these types of drugs of abuse
didn’t exist in their youth
•
There’s a lack of urgency around Rx/OTC
• RINGWOOD
POLICE
DEPARTMENT:
• 24/7!
DROP YOUR
DRUGS!
[Pills]
Time To Act Website

www.drugfree.org/timetoact

Dynamic, interactive site that allows
parents to follow one of two tracks –
What to do if:
 I think my child is using
 I know my child is using
www.mpoweredparent.com
www.madd.org/laws/social-host-1
www.shelbysrulesfoundation.com
PLEASE
Give us your email address for future information
sharing, and
AND, please fill out the
EVALUATION FORM!!
We need your feedback to develop
effective programs,
[and to be accountable for our grant from the
Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug
Abuse]
FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/awareyaasa
WEBSITE
http://yaasa.org/
Also: http://www.wpunj.edu/uppc
Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse: GCADA
http://gcada.nj.gov/