When children become the littlest victims in drug epidemic

I know so many addicts and alcoholics whose parents were also addicted. My Mom suffered from alcoholism and it colored everything about the way we grew up. My Grandmother was the who tried to rescue us by seeing that we had good school clothes and summer vacations. But least we not forget--my mother had the disease but she was also the first one into a 12 step program and brought the rest of us behind her. A curse and blessing all in one. Isn't that the way life is? Children are the victims--but sometimes, if a parent can find sobriety, they can turn the whole family around like my mother did for us--all her kids are sober, her nieces and nephews, and her brother.

Read about these kids--They have loving relatives to take them in and possibly someday their parents can turn around like my mom did.

 When children become the littlest victims in drug epidemic: "Aaron is 10 now, Katherine is 8 and Will is 7, the sons and daughter of Jim Bass and Ken Adcox of Alpharetta. They are also Jim Bass’ niece and nephews, children of an ever-increasing number of families unraveling because their parents are either in rehab, in jail, dead, or otherwise incapable of taking care of them because of substance abuse."

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War Cries by Shelly Marshall - Step 12 Magazine

I often write for various recovery publications--I love sharing recovery. My most recent article made it in "Step 12 Magazine" and covers our use of slogans in recovery. Slogans and great one-liners--that is what our books at Day By Day use to carry the message. I hope you take a minute to read about War Cries and how they carry the message for us.

War Cries by Shelly Marshall - Step 12 Magazine: "Getting clean and sober can feel like war. War against a disease. Although we eventually learn to cease fighting anyone or anything, in the beginning we battle a ferocious enemy: the compulsion, obsession, and jonesing to pick up just one more time. To confront this fierce enemy, the old-timers gave us a very powerful tool in slogans, which often goes unrecognized."

Please note: Step 12 Magazine has merged with Serene Scene Magazine. Effective June 1, 2017, we will publish under the name of Recovery Illustrated. Same mission, new name. Join them!

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Keep the kids away from prescription drugs--a new website

My degree in Alcohol and Drugs came from Metropolitan University in Denver. Colorado has been on the "kids and drugs" bandwagon for 40 years that I know of. Every year the experts (and I was one of them) come out and say how "epidemic" the drug problem has become. The only thing that changes is the name and slang for the drugs--it goes from marijuana to speed, to LSD, to cough syrup, to peyote, to heroin, to date rape drugs, to cocaine, to crack, to prescription drugs, and so on.

I'm not saying that the efforts aren't exemplary--they are. We need to do what we can for each generation of parents and their offspring--I just get so weary of the "epidemic" and alarmism stuff--but maybe that is the only way to capture the attention of those that need to hear it.

This is a great website not only for Colorado parents but for all parents! Go visit.

News | Highlands Ranch Colorado | Highlandsranchherald.net: "A campaign run by the Colorado Department of Human Services Office of Behavioral Health called “Speak Now Colorado” is targeted at helping parents have those difficult conversations with kids, especially around prom and graduation seasons. On the Speak Now website, speaknowcolorado.org, parents can:
 • Learn how to spot risky behavior.
 • Explore hypothetical scenarios to help them prepare for real-life situations involving kids and substances.
 • Take a quiz to test their knowledge of drug and alcohol use.
 • Get tips for starting and continuing conversations with their children about drugs and alcohol. Start conversations early "

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FREE Addiction Poster Download

This poster is from our Day By Day store--download and print on a legal sheet of paper. It's FREE and you can get across a strong message on addiction.

Click here for your FREE High definition poster.

Inside the 'eye-opening' drug course parents must take before kids go to prom | NJ.com

Prom time again and parents should be prepared. what does your school do to help parents understand what the teens are facing? This school makes a course mandatory for parents if they want their kids to participate. I never heard of this before, but think it is a GREAT idea.

Inside the 'eye-opening' drug course parents must take before kids go to prom | NJ.com: "Parents are invited to tour the bedroom set and use their detective skills to seek out likely hiding spots. Sgt. Danielle LoRusso, with the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, leads the programs. Once she has allowed parents to pull out drawers and examine the scene, she takes them through again to show what they missed."

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Pay It Forward with Free Books for Your Center, Just fill this out

We have just awarded May and June's Free books for Treatment Centers. They are the House of Grace in Louisville and Hagerstown Treatment Center in Maryland. I know I shouldn't be advertising that we give free books every month (we do but our resources are limited) but we are so happy that God has made it possible to Pay It Forward. Who would have thought? Thank you, everyone for the help you give us. Click the link to see who we give books to and why they need them.

 Maybe you want to help? Even a dollar ($1) goes a long way!

Pay It Forward with Free Books for Your Center, Just fill this out: "June 2017 House of Grace, Louisville, KY Sharon F is a former client of the House of Grace. Her words were simple, "To help the alcoholics and addicts in the household get extra help." A little extra help is on the way. May 2017 Hagerstown Treatment Center, Hagerstown, MD Lynn K, an employee wrote, "I would like the books for Substance Abuse counselors to have more resources to help our patients. I also would like to be able to offer resources to patient as to help them be successful with their recovery." Your pay It Forward Gift includes a first edition workbook and facilitator guide for starting a parent's group--Sober Coaching Your Teen. Thanks for letting us contribute."

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ASK A PARENT COACH

I found the best website today! It is run by Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and I am so impressed! You can contact this organization if you have concerns about your child and they can help steer the right direction for the help you may need. They also have a volunteer staff (Carla returned my call and explained what they do) who has been through the trials of raising a child in today's drug influenced world--you can call them, fill out a form or do an online chat--whatever works best for you. Check out this great resource--I am also adding a resource link from the SoberCoachingYourTeen.com.

Partnership for Drug-Free Kids | Portal: "Who are Parent Coaches? Parent Coaches are moms and dads just like you who have been personally affected by a child's substance use. They are not therapists – they are parents who have been there and received special training and support from the Partnership and our clinical partner, the Center for Motivation and Change, to help other families through similar struggles. Their answers can help you too. To connect with a counselor experienced in the field of substance use, please call our Helpline at 1-855-DRUGFREE."

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