BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition (BAPC) announces the launch of its new campaign “Parents, pass it on…The blunt truth about marijuana,” and and a new website, www.theblunttruth.org.
At theblunttruth.org, parents can find information and resources to help them talk about marijuana use with middle school and high school-aged teenagers.
Nationally, more than 4,300 youths per day used at least one kind of illicit drug for the first time, primarily marijuana (3,577 new initiates on an average day). Forty percent of students in grades 8-12 in the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union say they have used marijuana, according to the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
However, the survey found that students who reported having an adult to turn to for help and advice were less likely to use marijuana in the past 30 days.
Parents can have the greatest affect on a young person's decision to use marijuana during early adolescence. Recent research shows that parents who talk to their children before the age of 13 will increase the likelihood that the youth will not use marijuana.
BAPC director Beth Shrader said this campaign is based on the needs of local parents.
“We spoke to local parents about marijuana in two focus groups asking them what they wanted this campaign to be,” she said. “Parents asked for the facts about the risks of use as well as general parenting tips for talking to teens about it. This campaign addresses these needs by providing parents with the resources they need to talk about marijuana.”
Campaign materials are available through local media outlets including radio public service announcements and ads in local newspapers, as well as informational posters in the Brattleboro area. Materials include local data on marijuana use, health risks for adolescent use, as well as parenting advice on talking to 12-18 year olds about marijuana.
For more information about BAPC, visit www.BrattleboroAreaPreventionCoalition.org, or visit BAPC's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BrattleboroPreventionCoalition.