SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – DID YOU KNOW is a monthly column created by the Tahoe Alliance for Safe Kids (TASK) and shared here and with parents in South Lake Tahoe.

DID YOU KNOW that Prevention strengthens protective factors and reduces risk factors in individuals, families, schools, communities, and society. Prevention also helps us get ahead of substance use and mental health challenges so that youth, families, and communities can thrive.

This October, let’s talk about substance use and misuse and work on prevention. Every October, communities across the U.S. engage on the topic from October 23-31 for National Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is a powerful reminder that ordinary Americans nationwide contribute significantly to their communities every day by embracing a drug-free lifestyle. 

DID YOU KNOW that Red Ribbon Week was started in honor of Enrique (Kiki) S. Camarena, who dedicated his professional life to keeping communities safe? His career was spent in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving as a police officer, a Deputy Sheriff, and finally as a Special Agent with the DEA. He died at the age of 37 when he got extremely close to unlocking one of the biggest multi-million-dollar drug pipelines. Before exposing the drug trafficking operations, he was kidnapped by five armed men on his way to lunch with his wife and children. A month later, his body was found, and shortly after Kiki’s death, hundreds of students and teachers in his California hometown of Calexico wore red ribbons and pledged to lead drug-free lives to honor the sacrifices made by Kiki Camarena and others on behalf of all Americans. Now, each year in October, more than 80 million young people and adults show their commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle by wearing red or displaying a red ribbon.

DID YOU KNOW millions of Americans suffer from substance abuse, including underage drinking, alcohol dependency, non-medical use of prescription drugs, abuse of over-the-counter medications, and illicit drug use. Kids in the U.S. aged 12- 20 account for 11 percent of the country’s monthly alcohol consumption.

Data shows early intervention helps prevent substance abuse and reduces the negative consequences of addiction before it occurs. Early drug abuse correlates with substance abuse problems later in life, and the most significant increases in destructive behavior take place among older teens and young adults. 

How To Start the Conversation with Your Kids

There are so many great resources to help get you started on a conversation with your kids about substances. Underage drinking and drug use not only have negative effects on your brain and body but can also have negative consequences that can last into adulthood. Consequences include driving restrictions/loosing your license, having to wait longer to get a license, legal penalties and fees, restrictions on sports or school activities, or jail time.

 Here are some tips and resources to help you prep and be ready to start the conversation:

  1. Be Prepared- It is important to make sure you are ready before engaging in this conversation. Start by compiling a list of resources and planning what you would like to say.
  2. Plan to Have the Conversation at an Appropriate Time- make sure to have the conversation at a time when you won’t be rushed and will have enough time to spend with your child.
  3. Prepare Specific Examples- have specific examples in mind that help to explain the reason why you are having the conversation or concerned about the child.
  4. Create an Exit Strategy- before your kids are even in a situation with drugs or alcohol, talk to them about how to exit that situation. Things like what to say or who to call. Maybe it’s a code word to pick them up, allowing them to blame it on an adult or parent/guardian.

Here are some great websites for starting and having these conversations:

  1. The New Drug Talk: English- www.thenewdrugtalk.org/  Spanish- www.lanuevadrugtalk.org/
  1. Talk They Hear You: www.samhsa.gov/talk-they-hear-you/parent-resources 
  1. Find the Words: www.thespeedyfoundation.org/new-page

Vaping: What-You-Need-to-Know-and-How-to-Talk-to-Your-Kids-About-Vaping-Guide-Partnership-for-Drug-Free-Kids.pdf (drugfree.org)

For more about TASK, visit https://tahoesafekids.org/