More than 15 years of CASA* research on teens and substance abuse finds that a child who gets through age 21 without smoking, using illegal drugs or abusing alcohol is virtually certain never to do so and that the greatest influence on teens is parents. Over those years, from thousands of emails, letters and calls from concerned parents like you, we've become convinced that you do not appreciate the power you have to raise healthy, drug free kids and how best to exercise that power. So we're writing a new book, Parent Power, to help you.

Parent Power Book

To make Parent Power a book that will help all parents raise healthy children, we need you to tell us how you talk and listen to your child about alcohol, marijuana, pills, tobacco and other drugs; how you help them deal with peer pressure from friends and from the music and entertainment in their lives, and how you deal with schools where drugs are often available.

The questions below are just a guide to help you think about experiences you’ve had with your teens. Post your comments on any of these questions and share your ideas. Respond to the comments of other parents. You can be a part of creating the best book ever written to raise the next generation of superior athletes, pioneering inventors, and strategic business/government leaders as healthy drug-free kids!

New Question: If you suspected that your kid had an alcohol or drug problem, who would you reach out to for help, a doctor, clergy, teacher, someone else?

New Question: If your child told you that a friend was drinking or using drugs, would you call that friend’s parents and tell them?

New Question: If you suspected that your kid was drinking or doing other drugs, would you search his or her things (e.g., backpack, clothing or room)?

New Question: Do you monitor or limit what your kid watches on TV? What movies he or she sees? What music he or she listens to?

New Question: How well do you know the parents of your kid’s friends? Do you talk to them about what’s going on in your children’s school or community?

If you smoked marijuana, abused alcohol or used illegal drugs at any point in your life, did you tell your kids about it? What did you say? What did they say?

What is the most important thing a parent can do to keep their kids substance-free?

What information would you like to find in the book to help you raise your kids substance free?

When did you first talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol? What did they say? What did you say?

How have you answered tough questions from your teen like: “How is my smoking marijuana any different than you drinking a glass of wine or beer?” “Everyone else is doing it, why can’t I?” “Did you smoke marijuana when you were young?”

If you discovered that your child was drinking alcohol or smoking marijuana or cigarettes, what did you do?

If you found alcohol or marijuana or cigarettes in your child’s room, what did you do?

Do you talk to your daughter differently than you talk to your son about drinking or using drugs?

What did you do when your child told you a friend was drinking? Smoking marijuana? Getting high on pills or other drugs?

Do you limit what your teen sees and does online? What they post on their MySpace and Facebook profiles?

Do you check up on parties your teens go to? What did you do when you found out that beer was available at a party your son/daughter attended? Or that there was no chaperone?

How do you combat the media and/or young Hollywood’s glorification of substance abuse?

What do you find helpful in raising your teen drug free? Your teen’s school? Your church? Your neighborhood? The government’s anti-drug media campaign?

If you caught your child drinking or smoking marijuana how did you discipline him/her? Did you ground your child? Enforce a curfew? Cut allowance? Did your disciplinary action work? Why or why not?

Do you have frequent family dinners?