Hi Parents!  All is well at Operation: PARENT.  I thought I would share some of the notes I took during our last Coffee Series on "Teens and Drugs:  What Parents Need to Know" by Detective Ted Spegal.  It was a great presentation and I learned a lot. 

Detective Spegal has a teenage daughter and he said "The 4th Ammendment (Search and Seizure) stops at my house!  He recommends parents not get hung up on "privacy" and frequently check bedrooms, vehicles, backpacks, etc.  If you find something of concern (and he taught us what to look for), you may need to take one day to cool off and calm down.  Then, tell them "This is what I found...do you have anything to say?"

Detective Spegal also said that when we say to ourselves "I drank when I was young and I turned out ok", or "I smoked marijuana a few times when I was a kid and nothing happened", we are projecting our coping behaviors and life experiences on our kids...a big misconception and a big mistake!   Our kids will have different coping skills and life experiences...remember the culture they're growing up in!  Also, the drugs are not the same.  The potency, the amount, the accessability has all increased.  Kids drink more, smoke stronger stuff and do it at earlier ages than we ever thought of.

Finally, he described the peer pressure our kids are under as a "slow rising tide."  He said they don't have to say "no" once...they need to say it 100 times!  When they're at parties, the invitations to participate in substance abuse is very subtle...it is not overt.  Kids will simply say "the keg is over there or there's stuff in the other room...help yourself."  Talk to your kids about how to say "no".

Detective Spegal is a great resource for parents.  He is willing to help any parent anytime so please keep his contact information handy, just in case:

Detective Ted Spegal: 

Office - 502/267-0503 

Email -  tspegal@jtownkypd.org

Remember, we all have great kids but great kids can make bad decisions.  It may feel like the end of the world if you suspect your child is using or abusing alcohol or drugs but trust me...catching them early is a blessing!  It's better to know what you're dealing with than to live in oblivion.  Remember...you are not alone!  We'll get you through this so that your teen experiences a future that is promising and productive. 

Hope you can make it to our next Coffee Series event that addresses the legal side of raising teens and pre-teens!  Never a dull moment!

Jean