Dear  Friend,

They wait to welcome their child into the world. They wait in cars after the team practice. They wait in line to buy their family’s dinner. They wait for texts to pick up their child from birthday parties, sleepovers and play dates. Others wait for thick college acceptance envelopes. But imagine this: You are one of the millions of parents with a teen or young adult abusing drugs or alcohol. You? You wait for a phone call. You wonder if your child will come home. You worry she’s hurt.

Like so many others, you don’t know where to start to find the answers you need, let alone how you will confront your child, if she needs help, or if there are others like you, parents who have stood in your shoes, paced beside doors or waited for a call. Having a child with an alcohol or drug problem can be emotionally taxing and financially devastating for families.

Suddenly, a lifeline.

You are searching the Internet for help and find The Partnership at Drugfree.org. The website, created with and for parents, allows you to connect with others, tap into expert advice and find support as you find help for your child. You find insight and tools you can use. You find a community who understands. You find hope. That’s what The Partnership at Drugfree.org exists to do – be a partner to parents all along their journey of parenting a teen, whether that’s prevention, intervention or treatment.

The The Partnership at Drugfree.org is there, a steady, supportive hand, offering services to help parents and caring adults. Not a government agency, but a nonprofit made up of partners in science, parenting and communications, and one that relies on the generosity of individuals.

Right now…

• We are building support for You Are Not Alone… a campaign dedicated to letting families of teens and young adults who are struggling with addiction know that they are not alone. By enlisting and uniting the millions who have been affected by addiction, we are removing barriers to seeking treatment and creating a new dialogue around addiction.
• We are growing the staff and services of our Parents Toll-Free Hotline… 1-855-DRUGFREE… a new, nationwide support service that offers assistance to parents and other primary caregivers of children who want to talk to someone about their child’s drug use and drinking. Our trained and caring parent specialists will help parents plan a course of action for teens who are struggling with substance abuse and lead them to resources or treatment facilities in their area.
• We have downloadable e-books and kits available… which equip parents with conversation starters and step-by-step direction to talk to their kids or take action if they think or know their child is using. Kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use.

Meeting these specific needs of parents, in conjunction with the everyday services we provide to families, will take a huge effort, cost money, and stretch our resources to the limit.

Stephen J. Pasierb, President & CEO

Source: www.drugfree.org to learn more