In response to questions such as these, Tri-City Partners Coalition has compiled the resource "Raising Drug-Free Kids: Advice by Age." This resource has been adapted with permission from The Partnership for a Drug-Free America at www.drugfree.org

Why is it important to keep our children drug- and alcohol-free through their school years?

According to Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Founder and Chair of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, "A child who gets through age twenty-one without smoking, abusing alcohol, or using illicit drugs is virtually certain to never do so."

While this issue seems most relevant to parents with teens, even parents of preschool and elementary-age kids need to be keenly aware of their critical role.

• Parents who clearly express their expectations about the use of alcohol and drugs raise children who are less likely to use.
• Establishing a warm connection with your children, discussing health-related issues, and defining limits and reasonable consequences in the early years lay the groundwork for healthy choices in later years.
• This series (used with permission from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America) offers an excellent starting point for raising drug-free kids.