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In addition to our website, we maintain a blog with current trends, articles from experts, and much more to help parents learn as much as they can about what may be popular with teens locally and across the country.
For the most up-to-date information visit our blog at: http://thenewtraditioncoalition.blogspot.com/
WHAT DRUGS ARE IN THE TEEN WORLD TODAY?
Times are changing and so are the opportunities to get high these days. Do you wonder what's out there? Are kids really selling their ADD prescriptions at school? Is pot that much stronger than it used to be? Is it grown in basements and homes here in Lawrence? Is my own medicine cabinet a target for teen drug abuse? Do kids get high off of over the counter cough medicine? What kinds of things do kids use to inhale to get high? What are 'skittles'? The number one deterrent for kids doing drugs is parent influence and we need to know the facts. Our children are 50% LESS likely to use if we talk with them, educate and monitor their behavior. How do we start the discussion without knowing the subject? The link below is a table will help you better understand the effects of drugs, what they look like, and how they are used. Share this with your child. It won't teach them to do drugs, it will teach them what drugs can do to them. It will help them be aware and knowledgeable about what's out there - in their world.
Rx drug flyer: Click here to view a drug identification guide
Partnership for a Drug-Free America shows that the number one reason teens report for trying drugs is to help them handle school-related pressures. Here is some local data about what teens are saying right here in Lawrence.
Lawrence Communities That Care Survey Data:Click here to view stats taken from Lawrence schools
Sexting: Not Just One Picture
The laws are very precise about child pornography. If a middle aged man is prosecuted for taking explicit pictures of a teenage girl, then he ends up on a sexual offender registry. He's the perpetrator. She's the victim. It gets a little more confusing when it's the 14 year old girl taking and sending pictures of herself.
That's the problem. Kids are taking and sending explicit pictures of themselves and sending them to their friends. Text messages. Email. Even online video.
Beyond the legal implications, there is the consequence of a digital picture on the internet. And once something is on the net, there's no going back. There's no undo.
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has an excellent resource on Sex and Tech. It also has some great video clips from students. http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/sextech/
Also, there are some PSA’s on sexting at http://www.iloveuguys.org/
From the iloveyouguys.org site, there is a link to ANOTHER great resource for youth- http://safe2tell.org/. “It is designed to help YOU anonymously report any threatening behavior that endangers you, your friends, your family, or your community.”