Drug Awareness...

Drug Awareness...

Narcotics information for
parent and child awareness

"Just say NO!"

This page is dedicated to narcotics awareness for parents and children alike. The Hubbard Township Police Department is committed to providing education through programs such as D.A.R.E. and this website to ensure the safety of all citizens in Hubbard Township.

We hope you find the information contained within this page useful. Parents please set aside some time to share this info with your child. By taking a few minutes with your children you could be saving a life. What you say and do with your children has a direct impact on how your child deals with peer pressure. Talking with your children often reassures them and lets them know you care and are interested in the choices they make. Remember, kids are impressionable and look up to you. You can expect them to mirror some if not all of your habits too. Take a look inward and see what examples you are setting.

Give your children ways to promote their own self esteem. Help them find ways to refuse things they don't want to take part in. Do you really want your child encountered with an offer to try marijuana, yet not have the tools to say no? Positive experiences at home and healthy relationships in life promote self esteem for everyone especially children.

Encourage your child to accept challenges and difficult tasks. Support them if the results aren't what they expected. This is extremely important, and it needs to come from you the parent. Encourage flexibility in life experiences, change isn't always easy, but a necessity throughout life.

Self esteem is promoted through trust, respect, love, praise, encouragement, help, pride, time management, setting realistic goals, acceptance, and one on one teaching and sharing of time together. Kids may tend to mask insecurity and low self esteem by associating with those who use drugs, and the peer pressure within these crowds is often so intense, it makes trying drugs that much easier. Escaping reality of a difficult situations is also a reason for trying drugs, remember give your kid the tools to escape with confidence. Tell your child that even though drugs are a quick escape, they create more problems, sometimes insurmountable obstacles that ruin lives.

Facts about drug and alcohol use:

1. It damages family and friend

2. It causes major problems at work

3. It has a serious negative effect on one's financial security

4. It threatens everyone's safety (A drug or alcohol user behind the wheel is a threat to everyone!)

5. It interferes with concentration, memory, attitude and other essential skills needed to compete in life at home, in the classroom, at work, and on the field.

6. Causes major legal problems, ask anyone who has been arrested or lost their license. (Major financial strain associated with this too. Restoring license, legal fees for lawyers, court costs, loss of work etc.)

7. IT EFFECTS YOUR HEALTH! Let's face it, drugs and alcohol or a combination can severely damage your body and even kill you!!

WHAT PARENTS CAN LOOK FOR

1. Sudden weight loss

2. Drop in academic performance

3. Sloppiness in appearance

4. Withdrawal from family

5. Sudden unexplained change in mood or behavior

6. Sudden loss of interest in regular activities such as favorite hobbies, sports, or other activities.

7. Slurred speech

8. Sudden secretiveness and mistrust.