For Parents & Teens

Don’t touch—go ask a trusted adult

Teaching kids to stop, ask questions, and involve a trusted adult helps prevent accidental exposure to medications and dangerous substances that they may come across while playing in parks and neighborhoods. Prevention starts with conversations at home with clear rules kids can remember. 

Don’t touch unknown items

Pills, powders, vapes, or anything you don’t recognize, even if they look candy or toys. Tell an adult

Only take medicine from a trusted adult

Never from friends or strangers.

If something feels unsafe, speak up

Your safety comes first.

Help keep the park safe

Let adults know if you see something that shouldn’t be there.

What can you do to help teens avoid drugs and alcohol?

Be involved. Focus on quality time that allows you to get a feel for their interests and activities, and how they spend their time.

Talk. For real. Families, parents, guardians, and educators can be a teen’s biggest influence. Whether you know it or not, they’re listening. Let them know this is important to you.

Ask open-ended questions. Ask in a nonjudgmental, open-ended way, so you’re more likely to get an honest response.

Stay open. Try to show them that you want to understand how they’re feeling and what temptations they’re experiencing. Make sure they understand how you feel too.

Share with them. Teenage years are tough. Yours probably were too. Teens may be surprised to learn you also had pressures and temptations to use drugs or alcohol. Remind them that you’re on their side and they can trust you. Set a good example by modeling healthy behavior by drinking responsibly.

Keep prescriptions safe. There may be dangerous drugs at home or at school, even ones prescribed by a health care provider.