It is no secret that we live in an age of information overload. An Internet search of the words drug and alcohol abuse at Google.com, for example, generated 440,000 responses in just seconds. Yet, how many parents could tell the difference between a baggie of tea from the co-op and a baggie of marijuana? How many would know how to determine if their child's animated talkativeness was youthful exuberance or a symptom of cocaine or methamphetamine use?

How does a parent sort out bad information about drugs from accurate and helpful information? Remember the Blue Star LSD scare? In their efforts to protect and inform, well-meaning people, organizations and corporations perpetuated a hoax for over 20 years that LSD tattoos of popular cartoon characters could cause hallucinations-- even death -- when a child touched one. There is no such thing as an LSD tattoo, but despite efforts to debunk this urban myth, it lives on.

Fortunately, parents who want to educate themselves about drug abuse and prevention don't have to look very far. For instance, the government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) maintains a national clearinghouse of printed and audiovisual materials on illegal and legal drugs. (Call 1-800-788-2800 or visit their Web site at www.health.org for more information).

Another handy resource is a book called Dangerous Drugs: An Easy-to-Use Reference for Parents and Professionals by Carol Falkowski. This book is a clear, concise guide to illegal drugs of abuse such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, LSD, and methamphetamines, as well as legal substances such as alcohol, nutritional supplements and cigarettes. Falkowski has researched trends and dangers of drug use since 1986 and is one of 20 researchers in the United States who participate in an ongoing drug abuse surveillance network of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She says she wrote Dangerous Drugs for parents, teachers, counselors, and others who want to know the big picture about drug use, abuse, and treatment -- not just the basic science. She gives indicators and effects of use, signs of overdose, and tells readers about the short- and long-term consequences of a particular drug.

Parents who do their homework can learn much from credible researchers like Falkowski. They could discover how one out of five eighth-graders inhaled common household or industrial products at least once to get high. They could learn to suspect inhalant abuse if a child seems dizzy or lightheaded, has a rash around their mouth, has red eyes and a runny nose or paint stains on their body or clothing. They could learn that inhalants are poisons, not drugs, that can result in Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome.

Falkowski says that for drug and alcohol prevention efforts to be effective, kids must get the same message from many messengers. For example, because inhalants are poisons, kids should hear about their dangers in science and health classes as well as during a drug education class.

A 1997 study published by the National Institute of Health indicated that parents who stay involved in their children's lives and who communicate clear expectations and consequences for their children's behavior positively influence the decisions their children make about drugs and alcohol. And the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recently found that people who began drinking after they turned 21 were far less likely to become alcohol abusers or alcohol dependent than those who started drinking at a younger age.

Believe it or not, your children are listening to what you have to say about drugs, so its crucial that your information is solid and trustworthy. It takes more than clever sound bites like just say no, which can become meaningless. It takes straightforward communication by non-alarmist adults who have taken the time to sort drug facts from drug fiction. It takes drug-savvy parents who make talking about drugs with kids an ongoing process.

To learn more about the book Dangerous Drugs call 1-800-257-7810.

--Published Oct. 23, 2000