| Ways To Prevent Drug And
Alcohol Use |
Establish and
enforce rules against underage
drinking. Keep alcohol, tobacco
products, and prescription
drugs out of the reach of
children too young to adhere
to such rules. Do not use
or store illegal drugs in
your home. Avoid exposing
others to tobacco smoke and
acknowledge that regular smoking
is unhealthy. Do not use alcohol
if you are pregnant, plan
to drive or engage in a physical
activity, take medications,
cannot keep your drinking
moderate, or are a child or
adolescent.
Be clear and consistent in
stating your expectation that
underage youth in your charge
will not use alcohol, tobacco,
and other drugs (ATOD). Let
other parents know your views
if your children are going
to be guests in their homes.
Be aware of the connection
between alcohol and other
drugs and sexually transmitted
diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
Make children aware that using
alcohol and other drugs can
lead to unplanned and unprotected
sex. Many drugs, including
alcohol and tobacco products,
interfere with the body's
immune system.
If a family member exhibits
signs of an ATOD problem,
be prepared to connect them
with appropriate help in your
area. Know what alcoholism/addiction
and ATOD dependence are, and
what resources are available
to you.
Help children understand
that they are not responsible
for problems adults experience,
that adult behavior while
under the influence of ATOD
does not necessarily reflect
true attitudes; learn what
else you can do to help buffer
stress for children in this
situation and reduce their
risk of developing serious
problems in their own lives.
Help children and adolescents
learn the health, safety,
and legal consequences of
using ATOD; be sure they understand
that alcohol and tobacco are
drugs and are as dangerous
as illegal drugs.
Model low-risk alcohol use
and ask others in your community
to do so as well. Be a responsible
host.
Model and encourage good health
practices: serve balanced
and nutritious meals at regular
times; plan ATOD-free family
activities. Encourage individual
expression and creativity
and respect for nature and
the human spirit.
Be sure children have easy
access to a wide range of
appealing, ATOD-free, alternative
activities and safe, monitored
areas where they can gather.
Discuss alcohol and tobacco
advertising and marketing
with youth. Ask what they
think about these messages,
whether they understand their
purpose, and whether they
recognize that these messages
do not teach the possible
harmful effects of using these
products.
Support proposed public policy
changes likely to make your
community, your State, and
the country a safer, healthier,
and positively challenging
environment. For instance,
some communities are placing
restrictions on unsupervised
cigarette machines. Elsewhere,
alcohol sponsorship of athletic,
rock music, and community
festivals is under scrutiny.
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| Advantages of Distance
Learning |
There are several advantages to taking
courses online instead of
in a traditional classroom.
Here are a few:
-
Taking online courses from home
doesn't require commuting.
This saves you time
and money; Time that
you don't have to spend
in the car and money
that you don't have
to spend on gas and
car maintenance.
-
You can complete most of the coursework
for online classes when
it's convenient for
you. Most online courses
are asynchronous, which
means you don't have
to attend a lecture
at a particular place
and time. You can review
what would traditionally
be lecture material
and work on assignments
before or after work,
during your lunch hour,
or after the kids have
gone to bed-whenever
it best fits your schedule.
-
Being able to take classes from
home and working on
assignments on your
own schedule enable
you to be home with
your children. This
can save you child care
costs.
-
Online courses address physical
accessibility issues
that some disabled persons
and senior citizens
encounter when taking
traditional classes.
You don't have to worry
about gaining access
to a campus building
or being forced to sit
in uncomfortable desks
for one or more hours
at a time. Instead,
you access the course
materials from home
through your computer.
The furniture you use
is your own so it's
most likely comfortable.
And you have the luxury
of being able to get
up and stretch whenever
you need to do so without
interrupting an entire
classroom full of students.
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