| Introduce topic by describing, activity name, content standard, and objectives. To start the session, ask the participants the following questions: -It is said that many young people fall into addiction and alcoholism at some point. Is it true? What would you do if one of your children or relative became an addict to a drug? What would you be willing to do to help him or her avoid drugs and alcohol? After hearing their comments, tell them that according to the article "Substance Use and Abuse in Teens: What parents can do to help stop teens from starting alcohol, tobacco and drug use" not all children try alcohol and drugs. Among those who do, many will not become regular users or will have issues with alcohol and drug abuse. Tell the participants that we will read the article mentioned above to analyze what can parents do to prevent their children from starting the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Make four or more teams if necessary and give each participant a copy of the article. Organize the teams assigning each team a section as follows: -Team 1: 'Introduction' and 'Three main substances account for the majority of substance use and abuse by teens'. -Team 2: 'Substance use follows trends', 'Reasons teens turn to substances' and 'Risk Factors'. -Team 3: 'Warning signs' and 'What Parents Can Do' -Team 4: 'What if my teen has a substance problem?' and 'Protective Factors'. Give them sufficient time to read and discuss their section with their teammates. After that, ask participants in what places teens are more likely to consume alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Why is it said that smoking tobacco is a 'nice' experience most of the time? How dangerous is an addiction: to videogames, gambling, alcohol, tobacco or drugs? To conclude, say that the same article, written by Richard Gallagher, PhD, member of the American Psychological Association, advises parents to provide guidance and expectations for their children, including the establishment of reasonable standards on behavior. As a final activity, ask the participants to identify one piece of information that they know would be effective in talking to a young friend or relative. Ask for a volunteer to share. |