According to the National Youth Anti-Drug Campaign, teens who are involved in constructive, adult-supervised activities are much less likely to use drugs than those who aren’t. Sit down with your kids and come up with a list of activities that are both safe and enjoyable, such as summer sports leagues and camps. Come up with ideas that you both like, that way your kids are much more likely to stick with and enjoy the activities..

While talking about the things your kids can do to keep active, explain to them why you think it’s important that they do something constructive while on summer vacation. Talking to your teen is an important activity you can do. It certainly is important where keeping teens drug-free is concerned. For help in starting the conversation about substance abuse, visit the Partnership for a Drug-Free America’s www.TimeToTalk.org website.

You’ll be glad you had these conversations and your kids will have an active and safe summer.

What ideas do you have to help your kids stay busy this summer?  Share your advice with other parents at the Stop Medicine Abuse Fan page on Facebook.

Today, our teens face situations where they may feel the pressure to make potentially dangerous decisions, such as abusing OTC medicines. Having open lines of communication shows your teens they can trust you with anything they may be faced with, and discussing issues such as medicine abuse increases the chance that they will make the right decisions when faced with tough decisions.

Talking with your teens, especially about difficult topics like medicine abuse, can be a challenge. But by keeping yourself educated on teen trends, being a resource for your kids on a range of topics, and probing them even when they are not particularly talkative are the best ways to protect your teens. By starting these conversations, you may find out your teens have already been exposed to medicine abuse in your community. By showing you understand the issue and the dangers associated with it, your teens may be more comfortable talking about the situations they encounter. No matter what, you will need an open line of communication to make that a reality. So hit the trails, offer to take your kids and a few friends out bowling, or go to a ball game and get the conversation started.

What activities do you participate in with your teens that help get the conversation going? Share your advice with other parents at the Stop Medicine Abuse Fan page on Facebook.

There are so many good reasons to have medicines at home—particularly now, during one of the worst allergy seasons in recent years—but with teens abusing both OTC and Rx medicines, it’s important to keep in mind these tips for safeguarding your home:

• Keep track of your medicines.
• Know exactly how much medicine is in each bottle or package.
• Properly discard the OTC and prescription medicines that you no longer need or that have expired.
• Tell other parents of teens to do the same.

Safeguarding your medicines, however, is only one part of the solution. Remember to educate yourself on teen medicine abuse by keeping up to date with the latest trends and regularly talk with your teens about the consequences of medicine abuse.

As parents, we are a key influence in our childrens’ lives, so be sure to not only clean your medicine cabinet, but use it as a learning experience to explain to your teens what you’re doing and why. Join us on the Stop Medicine Abuse Facebook page to share and discuss ways you make your house safe.

So, as you embark upon your spring cleaning this year, I encourage you to take a look in your medicine cabinets and toss what’s expired, and take count of what you’re keeping.

But this isn’t the only trend that technology is helping to advance. Another is the abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medicines. The Internet is a source that teens can use for information on how to abuse OTC cough medicines. Social networking sites that are largely popular with teens have users who blog and post videos promoting the abuse of cough medicines and recount their experiences abusing OTC medicines.

So how can you stay informed about what’s going on in teen culture, such as medicine abuse? Educate yourself about substances that are being abused and learn more about OTC cough medicine abuse by keeping up with us on StopMedicineAbuse.org and on our Facebook page. Be sure to communicate with your kids that there are risks to abusing these medicines, and reiterate that abusing OTC medicines can be as dangerous as using street drugs.

You can’t choose or predict which trends teens will pick up next, so be sure to talk with your teens about their activities, interests, and peers. Paying attention to the television programs, music, and magazines they’re interested in will help you communicate and relate to them better.

What trends have you noticed lately and how do you stay current? Share your advice with others on our Stop Medicine Abuse Facebook fan page.

So as your kids’ sports seasons wrap up and their school dances round out the academic year, take these unique opportunities when you’re around other parents, teachers, school administrators, and athletic coaches to talk about the dangers of OTC cough medicine abuse and how you’ll protect your kids during the summer months. Formalize these conversations by bringing them to the PTA or a parent-teacher conference. Perhaps, petition to make OTC medicine abuse a part of next year’s curriculum.

If you can’t make it to the in-school events, consider offering to help with the school newsletter or write for the website, where you can inform other parents about medicine abuse. These actions help achieve our goal of ensuring that all influential adults who play a role in our teens’ lives know about the dangers of OTC medicine abuse.

Another upside to attending these events is the obvious one – you’re showing your children that you support them; you care; and you’re connected to the educators, coaches, and other parents who they interact with daily.

We encourage you to use the information on the Stop Medicine Abuse site to inform these adults who play a role in your children’s lives. They have a unique line of sight into your teens’ actions while you’re not around and the chances are you’ll learn something during the discussion.

Do you have ways you’ve spread the message about medicine abuse to other parents? Share your advice with and learn from others on the Stop Medicine Abuse Facebook fan page.

Just last month, a Massachusetts teen took her life allegedly because she was bullied in the classroom and online. And just last week, cyberbullying legislation was passed in the state that will require school employees to report bullying incidents and require the principals to investigate them. The reality is, in today’s world, our teens feel pressures not just when they’re face-to-face with peers but when they’re online, too. Making matters worse, from cough medicine abuse to illicit drugs to drinking, some teens may be discussing dangerous—and sometimes illegal—behavior using social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook.

The good news is that there are many positive resources out there that both you and your teens can find online. When it comes to your teens’ online behavior, you must set guidelines about what is appropriate for them to browse. If they’re contemplating joining a social network, join with them and monitor what is on their pages. Also, stay in-the-know about the newest trends and online teen lingo, as well as other parental control tools that can help you keep your teens safe online. Facebook recently created The Safety Center designed to help protect our teens from online security issues, such as cyberbullying. MySpace and Facebook both offer safety guides and FAQs about their services, and if you don’t already have an account you might consider signing up for one yourself.

We’re really proud of the Facebook community that has grown around Stop Medicine Abuse, and it’s a great way for parents to connect with other parents and discuss medicine abuse issues. Are you and your family on Facebook? We would love for you to join the conversation and share your tips with others about protecting families online.

Our friends at the Partnership for a Drug-Free America polled parents on just that: What is the most effective opportunity to start a conversation with kids about living a healthy drug-free life? Nearly half of respondents (43 percent) said the most effective time to discuss drugs was in parallel with a family matter, such as when a family member or friend is facing the consequences of drug use. Some parents said the best time to broach the topic was when it was less personal, like when celebrity rehab stories surface in the media or after watching a movie with drug references.

Yet, even with these timely moments, talking to your kids about drugs can be tricky – and maybe even embarrassing – but I can tell you firsthand that these are vitally important conversations to have. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America’s Parent Talk Kit includes scripts that focus on scenarios such as if your child comes home smelling of cigarettes or alcohol, if your child was offered drugs at school, or if your teen is hanging with a different crowd.

Taking the time to start the conversation with your teens about substance abuse provides you with the opportunity to have an honest and open dialogue. Simply talking to your teens can make a huge difference in the decisions they make, especially when they face pressures from their peers.

Here is a sampling of conversation starters from the Parent Talk Kit that you can use at home to get the conversation started:

• “Hey, you probably know that parents talk to each other and find things out about what’s going on at school… I heard…”
• “I know it’s been a while since I talked to you about the dangers…”
• “If you’re ever offered drugs at school, tell that person, ‘My mother would kill me…’”
• “Most people who use drugs and alcohol need a lot of help to get better. I hope [name] has a good doctor and friends and family members to help…”

As parents, it’s our job to keep our kids safe. If we educate them enough, ultimately it will be our voices they hear in the back of their heads when faced with a tough choice.

What are your suggestions for best conversation starters? Share your advice with other parents at the Stop Medicine Abuse Fan page on Facebook.