FAQs Here are some questions that we hear all the time from kids. Here's the top questions with answers provided by an officer, a parent and a fellow student. KEY:
First,
express your love for your dad and explain your concerns for his health.
Explain that you have learned about the many health concerns
associated with tobacco use and you fear that he will suffer some of those
ill effects. Explain that you
have been taught at school not to smoke, but have become confused by
watching your dad’s smoking activity. Tell
him how much you love him and want him to be around for a long time to see
his grandchildren grow up. I
would tell him that I don’t want to breathe the smoke he breathes out
because it hurts my lungs and that I don’t want to see him die young
either.
Think
about the positive and negative consequences of drinking “risk”
Consider the long and short-term effects of alcohol abuse on your health
as well as getting in trouble. I
think once you have considered all of these things, you will discover that
alcohol use is not worth it. Also
discuss this situation with your parents. You
will be able to try it some day when you are old enough…Laws are put
into place for people to drink over the age of 21 for a reason.
They hope that people will be responsible and strong enough to make
their own decisions because alcohol does alter your decision-making.
Any
person who encourages you to drink isn’t your friend.
Find new friends and stay away from alcohol.
All
drugs are dangerous. Some of the harder drugs are heroin, cocaine, phencyclidine
(PCP) and meth amphetamines. Even
prescription drugs can be dangerous when not taken as prescribed by a
doctor. All
drugs are bad! The best
advice I could give would be to stay away from them all. All
of them are bad – unless the doctor or your mom gives them to you
because you are sick.
If
your parents drink an occasional glass of wine with dinner, that does not
make them alcoholics. An alcoholic is someone who is unable to control him or
herself and has to drink alcohol. Drinking
a glass of wine at dinner doesn’t make them alcoholics.
When they start drinking lots of bottles of wine I would start to
question things. Maybe
not, but they surely aren’t too smart.
Drinking alcohol is stupid, it’s really bad for your body and
most people feel sick after they drink.
First
explain to your parent or guardian how you feel about the situation, If
you are still required to be alone, try to get your parents to allow you
to stay with friends, other family members, a local youth organization or
even the local library. If
you must be alone, please remember that you can summon immediate
assistance by telephoning 911. I
would tell your parents that you are not comfortable staying by yourself.
I would see if your parents could arrange for you to stay with a
relative, neighbor or friends house.
If you are already by yourself, call your parents and ask if you
could go to a neighbor until your parents came home. Always let your
parents know where you are. Call
your grandma or an adult relative if you are scared and tell your parents
you don’t want to stay home alone.
Realize
that your dad has a problem with drug use and is unable to control
thoughts about his use. You should consider talking with another parent, guardian or
health care worker at your school or perhaps someone at your place of
worship. Tell
him that it is a big deal and that it is illegal and he could go to
jail…. Not to mention very unhealthy. He needs to get some professional
help. Tell
him that it is a life or death situation, drugs are illegal and your dad
needs help.
Speak
to your parents about the consequences of drinking and driving with some
facts about the punishment and restrictions that apply to your state. There
is a difference between drinking one glass of wine at dinner and getting
drunk. If your parents are
drunk, don’t get into the car. Tell
them it’s not funny. They
can kill someone if they are drinking and driving and it could even be
them. Tell them you would
like them to see you graduate from college.
Explain
your concerns to your mother and request that she at least not smoke when
you are in the car. If you
really must ride with your mother when she is smoking consider lowering a
window or even explaining to your mother that you would rather not ride
with her. Also explain to her
the consequences of second hand smoke. Tell
her that kids are accusing you of smoking and that you are getting in
trouble at school because smoking is not allowed. Tell
her that second hand smoke is very bad for your lungs and that it hurts
you as much as it’s hurting her to smoke. |