Reasonable Curfews
Did you know that between the hours of 1 and 3 a.m. one in four drivers is estimated to have been drinking alcohol? Even if your child isn't among those who have been drinking, the roads are certainly not a safe place to be. (Harvard University) That's just one more reason why a reasonable curfew is important for today's teenagers!
All of this information and much more is found in Involved: Parents' Connection to Drug Prevention.
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Upcoming Aim For Success Program Locations
November 2008
Allen, TX
Amarillo, TX
Breckenridge, TX
Burkburnett, TX
Colleyville, TX
Dallas, TX
Dimmitt, TX
Duncanville,TX
Fort Worth, TX
Frisco, TX
Gainesville, TX
Glen Rose, TX
Grand Prairie, TX
Grapevine, TX
Gustine, TX
Hattiesburg, MS
Irving, TX
La Vernia, TX
Leonard, TX
Lewisville, TX
Paris, TX
Petal, MS
Plano, TX
Princeton, TX
Quanah, TX
Sherman, TX
Sundown, TX
Sweeny, TX
Tenaha, TX
Tom Bean, TX
Winnie, TX
Wylie, TX
December 2008 Abilene, TX
Allen, TX
Aransas Pass, TX
Ben Wheeler, TX
Colleyville, TX
Dallas, TX
Duncanville, TX
Fairview, TX
Farmers Branch, TX
Grand Prairie, TX
Groesbeck, TX
Henrietta, TX
Jourdanton, TX
Lewisville, TX
Medina, TX
Plano, TX
Rhome, TX
Royse City, TX
San Antonio, TX
Sanger, TX
Waxahachie, TX
January 2009 Addison, TX
Allen, TX
Anton, TX
Argyle, TX
Corpus Christi, TX
Dallas, TX
Ector, TX
Fairview, TX
Forney, TX
Fort Worth, TX
Fredricksburg, TX
Frisco, TX
Garland, TX
Grand Prairie, TX
Highland Village, TX
Houston, TX
Kennedale, TX
Kingsville, TX
Lamesa, TX
Little Elm, TX
Llano, TX
McKinney, TX
Mesquite, TX
Needville, TX
North Richland Hills, TX
Paris, TX
Pattonville, TX
Plano, TX
Pleasanton, TX
Saginaw, TX
Schulenburg, TX
Sonora, TX
Waxahachie, TX
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Greetings!
Our passion at Aim For Success is to teach today's young people about the importance of making wise life choices so they can achieve their dreams and goals. Although our focus is primarily on sexual abstinence, we know that drug and alcohol use is often the gateway for teens becoming sexually active. For that reason we have worked diligently to develop a new drug and alcohol prevention program, Power to Succeed. The program is an hour long, live presentation and is designed for 6th through 12th grade students. We have received amazing reviews from students, parents and educators who have seen the program. To learn more about Power to Succeed or to schedule a Power to Succeed Presentation at your school or youth organization call our office, 972.422.2322 or click here.
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Is Your Family Talking
About the Risks of Drugs?
Written by Marilyn Morris,
Founder and President of Aim For Success
At the conclusion of a recent Aim For Success program, a 14-year-old girl told me, "It's fun to get drunk because then you can do insane things - like you don't even care who you hook-up with. And the great thing is you don't remember half the stuff you did the next day."
Earlier this year a distraught 16-year-old boy told me he appreciated how we connect the use of drugs with having sex in our program. Then he said, "I just wish you had been here a couple of months earlier." He went on to explain that he recently went to a party where he passed out after consuming a large quantity of alcohol. The next morning he woke-up next to a girl he'd never seen. He said he's pretty sure they had sex, but he doesn't know her name or anything about her. Shaking his head in disgust he said, "I was such an idiot that night. What if she's pregnant now? What if she comes after me for child support next year or in five or ten years? Or what if she's got some disease and now I've got it?"
Alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs - it's a part of today's teen culture. It's all about losing control and being free to do whatever they want. Ironically, the key to being truly free to do whatever they want is self-control. It is the very thing your child will need to achieve their dreams and goals and live the abstinent lifestyle.
I can't tell you how many teens have told me they had no intentions of having sex until one night when they had too much to drink or they popped a strange pill and suddenly they were doing things they now deeply regret.
So here's my question to you as a parent: Are you talking to your children regularly about the dangers of drugs and alcohol? You should be, because you can make a big difference.
- Young people who learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are 50 percent less likely to use drugs than those who don't get information from their parents.
- And over two-thirds of teens say upsetting their parents or losing the respect of family and friends is one of the main reasons they don't use drugs.(Partnership for Drug Free America)
But how could your children know you would be upset unless you're talking openly about the risks of using drugs? It's important you clearly spell out your values regarding tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs and all other illegal drugs. But just saying, "I don't want you using drugs," isn't going to cut it. You need to explain why.
 In my new book Involved: Parents' Connection to Drug Prevention, I provide you with facts, true stories and ways you can empower your children to say no to drugs. For example, have you talked to your child about the dangers of smoking cigarettes? You should because teens who use tobacco are more likely to use alcohol and drugs, carry a weapon, attempt suicide and engage in sexual activity.
The following are just a few ideas taken from Involved that will help you empower your child to take a strong stand against using tobacco.
You should let your child know you don't want him to smoke cigarettes because it's dangerous for his health. In fact, one out of two lifelong smokers will die of a smoking related death. You could continue by telling him that smoking is a kid's thing. In fact, nearly all adult smokers will tell you they started smoking as a kid. At the time, they probably planned to smoke only a year or two, but soon found quitting was next to impossible. In fact, 35 million Americans try to stop smoking every year, but only 2.5 million succeed. Nicotine in tobacco is that addictive. It can actually destroy the person's stopping mechanism in their brain and they literally cannot stop. Then the next time you and your child are walking out of the mall and you see a group of people leaning against the building in the freezing cold or blazing hot sun puffing away on their cigarettes, remind your child those people are outside for only one reason. They're addicted to nicotine and they have to have their next nicotine fix.
Or maybe something as simple as saying, "Did you know smoking cigarettes can make a person's hair, breath, clothes and car stink? Can you imagine kissing someone with stinky tobacco breath? Yuck!"
Or maybe your child would respond more to the impact tobacco would have on his wallet. In that case, simply explain that smoking a pack of cigarettes per day for a year costs a person about $1,500. And a person who smokes over 50 years, will spend about $80,000 on cigarettes. If, however, that person invested the $1,500 per year instead of spending it on cigarettes, by age 65 he'd have close to one million dollars.
The entire book is filled with creative ideas, true stories and various ways you can talk to your children about tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, steroids, cocaine, methamphetamine, etc.
I co-authored Involved with Sergeant Todd Raybuck from the Las Vegas, Nevada Police Department. Todd has worked undercover in Vice, Narcotics and Criminal Intelligence. He has provided drug and substance abuse training to law enforcement and businesses across the country. He is the father of four boys and has been featured on Oprah, CNN's Crossfire, and Court TV. Needless to say, Todd has some amazing stories in our book Involved: Parents' Connection to Drug Prevention. To order the book click here. |
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The Magical Age of 14
Although the legal age to drink alcohol is 21, the average age for a first drink is 14.
Compared to 13-year-olds, 14 year olds are:
Have you prepared your child for that day when someone says, "Hey kid, you want to try this?"
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Drug Related Facts
Worth Knowing
- Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among American teens. Those who begin drinking before 15 are four times more likely to become an alcoholic than those who begin drinking after 21. (Journal of Substance Abuse)
- Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in America. More young people use marijuana than cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and all the other illegal drugs combined. More American teens go into treatment for marijuana dependence each year than for alcohol and all other illegal drugs combined. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Teens who say they are "often bored" are 50% more likely to smoke, drink, get drunk and use illegal drugs than teens who aren't bored and lonely. (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse)
- 37 percent of 8th graders, 69 percent of 10th graders and 84 percent of seniors say marijuana is accessible to those who want it (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
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Thank you for reading Tips on Encouraging Abstinence.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Morris
President and Founder |
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