Hazy Logic
Misconceptions About Marijuana Use & Driving
Recent research results indicate alarming misconceptions among teens regarding the dangers of mixing marijuana use and driving. While many youth appear to have gotten the message that alcohol and driving do not mix, the same cannot be said for marijuana use and driving. In a study conducted by Liberty Mutual and SADD, one-in-five (19%) teen drivers reported that they have driven under the influence of marijuana, as opposed to 13% reporting driving while under the influence of alcohol.
 Marijuana use among teens is at its highest level among eighth- to-12th-graders in 30 years, with one-third of teens who had driven after using marijuana indicating that they believed that the drug presented no distraction to their driving.
"Marijuana affects memory, judgment, and perception and can lead to poor decisions when a teen under the influence of this or other drugs gets behind the wheel of a car," said Stephen Wallace, Senior Advisor for Policy, Research, and Education at SADD. "What keeps me up at night is that this data reflects a dangerous trend toward the acceptance of marijuana and other substances compared to our study of teens conducted just two years ago."
"Teens are faced with potentially destructive decisions every day and don't always make the best ones," said Dave Melton, a driving safety expert with Liberty Mutual Insurance and managing director of global safety. "It's our job as mentors, parents, role models or friends to effectively communicate with them to ensure they are armed with the right information and aware of the dangers of marijuana and other substances, especially while driving."
Together and through education, parents and youth have the power to change the course of teens' behavior and perceptions about drug and alcohol abuse. For more information on these research findings, as well as tips and information on talking to your teen about the dangers of drug/alcohol use and impaired driving, visit sadd.org.
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Teen Proofing
Parent Blogger Shares Tips
It's every parent's nightmare: returning home from an evening out, only to find that your responsible teenager has decided to throw a party...where alcohol is present. Strong opinions abound surrounding whether or not it is appropriate to serve alcohol to those underage in a controlled environment (i.e. your home), but the fact is, it is illegal. There are steps that parents can take to help ensure that their homes don't become havens for underage drinking.
In a recent series of blogs, David Singer, author and pare nt, highlights his experiences navigating teen parties during the adolescent years of his three children. He discusses strategies that he and his wife employed to keep their children safe, both conventional and surprising. To read this series, visit David's blog on "Teen Proofing."
Parents have the ability to directly influence their teens' behavior in a positive way, particularly when it comes to alcohol and other drug use. What you say and how you communicate can make a difference. In fact, teens with open and honest communication with their parents are more likely to make good choices. Explore additional tips and resources on communicating with your teens and ways to work together to keep them safe at parentteenmatters.org. |
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SADD Wins 100K from
Cars.com!
Recently, SADD was awarded $100,000 from Cars.com Cares, as part of the company's online giving initiative. Launched this year to support organizations that help build confidence in young people, the initiative provided seven charities with the opportunity to collect votes online, via Facebook, between January 26th and February 13th. SADD's broad network of supporters, both youth and adults, helped secure the most votes, resulting in this generous gift from Cars.com.
As Penny Wells, Executive Director of SADD stated, "we cannot thank Cars.com enough for including us in the Cars.com Cares program. This donation will help fund many of our p revention education programs in schools and communities across the country."
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Words Can Work®
Talking With Kids About Underage Drinking
A leading reason young people resist alcohol is the positive influence of parents. Talking with your kids can help keep them safe.Robert, a star soccer player, started drinking at age 14. His parents Ashley and Bob knew he drank occasionally but turned a blind eye. One night, after a few beers the summer o  f his 16th birthday, Robert got behind the wheel of his dad's car. "I thought that I was bulletproof," he says. Speeding down a winding road, he lost control and hit a tree head on. "My right leg stayed in the car and the rest of my body flew out," Robert says. He remembers the day during his recovery that he understood he'd never walk again. "My entire soccer team came to visit me in the hospital," he says. "It wasn't until I saw their faces, teary-eyed ... that I realized I'd never be out on that field with them again." Ashley and Bob wish they'd talked with Robert about alcohol, and disciplined him when he drank. "It's not good enough, after a tragedy, to say: 'Kids will be kids,' " Bob says. Starting the ConversationGive your kids a chance to tell you what they think. Ask open-ended questions:"I heard something upsetting today. Almost a third of teens say they've ridden in a car with a driver who'd been drinking. Why would they take that risk? Help me understand." Then follow up: "How would you handle that situation?" Help kids think through tough situations ahead of time. Give them practice making safe choices: "Let's say you're at a party where everyone's drinking. What would you do?"
Follow up by sharing your values about underage drinking.
See Robert's story in Alcohol: True Stories Hosted by Matt Damon (DVD with Discussion Guide). Read Robert's story in Words Can Work: When Talking About Alcohol, a guide for youth and parents. To learn more and order, visit www.wordscanwork.com. Please support SADD by entering the source code "SADD" whe n ordering online from Words Can Work.
Words Can Work offers young people, parents and other caring adults the information, communication strategies and the words to talk about the public health challenges kids face growing up - from substance abuse and bullying to depression and healthy living.
SADD has endorsed and promoted Words Can Work DVDs and booklets for many years, and has a long-standing relationship with Jeanne Blake of Blakeworks, creator of these programs. All of the videos - addressing topics such as underage drinking, other drug use, bullying, and more - are high-quality, easy to use teaching tools that include step-by-step discussion guides. Through our partnership, SADD receives a portion of all sales. |
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Action for Healthy Kids®:
An Online Resource
Action for Healthy Kids® is
the nation's leading
nonprofit and largest
volunteer network fighting childhood obesity and undernourishment. Their goal is to help schools become healthier places so our children can learn to eat right, are active every day and ready to learn.
In the resource section of their website, there are fact sheets, research reports, newsletters and a number of free downloadable tools. You can search as a parent, educator, administrator or student. You can also search by state to learn more specifics about what actions and programs are being implemented in your state to address this area of concern. Remember, nearly one-in-three children are either obese or overweight. Our children are our future and all adults are urged to learn more about helping our youth to become healthier individuals.
To learn more visit Action for Healthy Kids' website.
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