Greenville Family Partnership

Key Findings of the National Parent and Teen Attitudinal Survey 2009!

This study shows a reversal in the decline in teen abuse of drugs & alcohol. It also highlights the critical need for parents to take immediate action as more teens are using alcohol, Ecstasy and marijuana.

After a decade in which meth use dropped by over 60% and past-month alcohol and marijuana use were reduced by 30%, the 2009 study points to a marked upswing in use of drugs that teens are likely to encounter at parties and in other social situations.

• The number of teens in grades 9-12 that used alcohol in the past month has grown by 11%, (from 35% in 2008 to 39% in 2009).
• Past year Ecstasy use shows a 67% increase (from 6% in 2008 to 10% in 2009).
• Past year marijuana use shows a 19% increase (from 32% in 2008 to 38% in 2009).

Underlying these increases are negative shifts in teen attitudes, particularly a growing belief in the benefits and acceptability of drug use and drinking.

• The # of teens that agree “being high feels good” rose from 45% in 2008 to 51% in 2009.
• Those saying “friends usually get high at parties” increased from 69% to 75%.
• There was a drop in the # of teens who “don’t want to hang with drug users” – from 35% in 2008 to 30% in 2009.

There has been no change in teen abuse of prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.

• Teen abuse of Rx medicines has remained stable with about 1 in 5 teens in grades 9-12 (20%) or 3.2 million reporting abuse of a prescription medication at least once in their lives.
•  1 in 7 teens (15%) or 2.4 million teens reporting abuse of a prescription pain reliever in the past year and 8% or 1.3 million teens reported OTC cough medicine abuse in the past year.
•  56% of teens in grades 9-12 believe Rx drugs are easier to get than illegal drugs.
• 62% believe most teens get Rx drugs from their own family’s medicine cabinets.
• 63% believe Rx drugs are easy to get from parent’s medicine cabinet, up from 56% last year.

Source: Partnership for a Drug-Free America

Parenting Programs

Parenting Classes—enhance the parenting skills of parents, grandparents, and other caring adults; help in the development of positive discipline, communication & anger management skills, and increase the knowledge of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

GFP offers the following parenting classes:

• Parenting Awareness — enhances parenting skills & instills confidence

• The Parent Connection — how to answer tough questions

• Preparing for the Teen Years — how to meet future challenges

• Parent to Parent — learn skills that will help your kids through the teen years without significant alcohol, tobacco or other drug use.

• Back in Control — helps parents get “back in control” when their kid is “out of control” (Provided in Cooperation with the SC Dept. of Juvenile Justice)

• Raising Children in Troubled Times — how to overcome obstacles to raising kids and setting & enforcing rules of discipline

• Building Family Strengths — how to recognize and build on family strengths

• Guiding Good Choices – how to guide your child in making good choices about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

• TransParenting - helps divorced parents communicate effectively in regards to children, thereby lessening the negative effects of divorce on kids

Parenting Classes may also be tailored to suit a particular topic or audience.

For more information or to schedule a parenting class, contact Lynn Hooper or Terry Taylor at 467-4099. Or, you may send an email to lynn@gfpdrugfree.org or terry@gfpdrugfree.org.

SAFE HOMES

A NETWORK OF PARENTS WORKING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE A SAFE HOME, A SAFE FROM ALCOHOL, A SAFE FROM DRUGS, AND A SAFE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Join a group of parents dedicated to providing an environment where our youth can socialize and understand that we do not accept the underage use of alcohol and drugs in our homes and on our property.

Please visit the Safe Homes section and if you still have questions we will be happy to provide any information for you to join in or start your own group of parents who want to keep their homes safe and provide a SAFE environment free from alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Call 467-4099 or email melissa@gfpdrugfree.org.

STOP Teen Drinking Grant!

Greenville Family Partnership (GFP) has been awarded a $50,000 four-year STOP grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). STOP stands for "Sober Truth on Preventing" Underage Drinking. The grant will support the Safe Homes Parent Network which engages parents in a coordinated effort to prevent and reduce underage drinking & its consequences and to change community norms regarding underage drinking. Click here to learn more.