School Required Prevention Education for Parents

Spring is here. And this is the best time to hold a substance abuse prevention workshop for parents because of proms, graduations and general nice-weather partying.

But I have found in my travels around the state that most schools are reluctant to sponsor parent education events due to low turnouts. No one has the funds right now to burn for audiences of only a few dozen.

Even coalitions have a tough time getting the school department to cooperate with a parent program right now.

Yet, I believe schools need to take the bull by the horns and place the responsibility for underage and drug abuse back into the hands of parents.

How can you guarantee good turnouts?

Good turnouts for are guaranteed by two things:
a recent teen fatality or
a parent-required program.

Administrators can take a firm stand to be proactive and require that parents attend a "wellness night".

Many schools require parents to attend an athletics night each year. If a parent wants their teen to patricipate in sports, they must attend a meeting. So include a brief presentation as part of that meeting.

Many schools now require parents to attend a prevention program so their teen can attend a prom! (becoming very popular right now due to liabilities involved with proms.)

Some schools include a brief presentation at Open House Night or Orientation Night when parents will be coming to the school anyway.

If you can convince your school district to take this kind of stand and fill their auditorium, your prevention dollars will be stretched. It is the only way to be proactive...... because if and when a student dies, the parents (that do not attend presentations voluntarily) will be screaming that the community did not do enough to prevent the tragedy.

Yes, some parents will complain at first about a mandatory wellness night. But once it becomes an annual event, parents come to expect it. I've seen it work. I've presented to packed auditoriums. Those administrators tell me that parents are not a problem because it has been annual practice for years.

What do you think? Sound off! I want feedback.....