Being a parent of a teenager can be rewarding, joyous, maddening and infuriating—all at the same time. Unfortunately, it can also be frightening, especially with the prevalence of drugs and alcohol. Despite decades of prevention efforts and laws to limit access to booze and drugs, teens are still finding ways to use and abuse illegal substances.

Raising healthy kids can be difficult in today’s world, and the world isn’t exactly helping. Consider society and the media’s messaging on marijuana, for example. Casual pot smoking has become almost accepted, yet teens (and parents) don’t understand marijuana is more potent—and, thus, more dangerous—than ever. Kids might not fully realize the impact that drugs and alcohol can have on their health. As parents, your job is to help your children come to that realization; they need to know the facts in order to make smart choices. Here are some impacts that drugs and alcohol can have on otherwise healthy kids:

Teens already are under tremendous pressure with school, their families and the simple fact that adolescent years are a naturally confusing and exciting time for most kids. Enter drugs and alcohol and you see why teens might feel overwhelmed. Educators might feel the same way—after all, part of helping students succeed, aside from academic support, is helping to students make healthy choices and avoiding negative behaviors which can hinder their growth and future success.  

Read This: Gratitude...improves your health and your quality of life!

It’s November - the perfect time to feel and express gratitude. Sometimes we are so busy grumbling about what didn’t go our way that we forget to be grateful for small things, nice weather, a smile or a cup of coffee.

Life is not perfect. Where did we get the idea that it was supposed to be perfect? The shiny magazines and media telling us to do more, be more, buy more? Have you noticed that even those who appear to "have it all" don’t have perfect lives? Life is messy. Be grateful for life’s imperfections. It makes it more interesting.

I am saddened that our country is so divided. Yet, I am grateful that we live in a democracy and have the freedom to choose.

I am overwhelmed by 24/365 technology. Yet, I am grateful to text with my grandkids and send a birthday gift certificate with the touch of a button.

Angela Nealy’s kind and nurturing personality is just what’s needed in her role as Gotha Middle School’s SAFE Coordinator and in her role as an Informed Families Ambassador. SAFE, which stands for Student Assistance and Family Empowerment, is a program to assist in making school campuses safe and drug free so all students have the opportunity to be successful in school. This is done through preventive, supportive and responsive action. And her zebra print sofa helps offer a sense of comfort to all (students and adults) that enter the SAFE Zone. Nealy, who has worked as a school administrator for 19 years, works with the students, staff and parents in these efforts.

“I am most concerned with getting factual information into the hands of our students,” said Nealy. “Middle school is such an impressionable time. I don’t want our students obtaining incorrect information from their friends and sometimes their siblings and then being tempted to try something dangerous as a result.”  

43 Florida schools and 19 Florida families need your help to win the 2016 National Red Ribbon Photo Contest. Winners are determined by who has the most votes in each region. Florida entries, which are competing in region 4 of the contest, are just some of the many entries representing multiple states in the southeast vying for the top prize: an ipad and $1,000 for a K-12 school.

However, even if the Florida participants don't get the top prize in their region in the National contest, which is co-sponsored by the National Family Partnership and the DEA, Informed Families will be giving out a special prize (an iPad and $1,000 for a K-12 school) to the top school entry and top home entry in Florida with the most votes.  

The contest asked families to decorate their front door, mailbox or fence and school's to decorate their campus with a double looped red ribbon and this year's theme: "YOLO. Be Drug Free."

So what are you waiting for? Vote for your favorite at www.redribbon.org/vote! Voting takes place between now and November 17th.

Drug Prevention Tools and Tips Offered to Schools and Families During Nationwide Celebration

Informed Families, a Florida nonprofit devoted to helping kids grow up safe, healthy and drug-free, is proud to be the sponsor of Florida's Red Ribbon Week™ 2016, set for Oct. 23-31. More details about this campaign can be found at http://www.flredribbon.org.

Red Ribbon Week was created by the National Family Partnership after the death of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena in Mexico in 1985. This tragedy led to the continuing tradition of displaying red ribbons as a symbol of intolerance toward the use of drugs. Red Ribbon Week is an opportunity for parents and schools to show support for a drug-free America -- and to talk to children about making healthy choices. The national theme for Red Ribbon Week 2016 is "YOLO. Be Drug Free."™

Red Ribbon Week is approaching, and middle schools across Florida will be raising awareness and facilitating communication about kids making healthy choices. The red ribbons that teachers and students will wear aren’t just for decoration—they signify a commitment to staying safe and resisting the dangers of teenage drug and alcohol use. Such a campaign would seem naturally geared toward high schoolers, but the message is just effective for middle schoolers and even earlier. In fact, the years when kids are 11-14 might be the most important time to deliver these messages.

As much as we want to believe middle schoolers aren’t old enough to be abusing drugs and alcohol, the reality is junior high kids are just as vulnerable as high schoolers, perhaps even more so. The parts of the young adolescent brain that deal with stress are still maturing, and the coping mechanisms they learn now can become ingrained for the rest of their lives. If middle schoolers turn to drugs this early, they can be setting themselves up for a lifetime of struggle.

Tracy Bowen, an Informed Families Ambassador who serves as the coordinator for K-12 Health, P.E. and Drivers Education for all Collier County Public Schools, is a true prevention champion and this month’s star ambassador for her dedication to the children of Collier County.

"I love being an Informed Families Ambassador because I want to be the best role model and advocate for a drug free lifestyle and family-centered life for all of the students, parents and educators in our district," said Bowen.

Bowen was first introduced to Informed Families four years ago through Informed Families Board Member Pat Barton and our partners at Drug Free Collier, Ana DiMercurio and Melanie Black. Drug Free Collier is a drug free coalition with a mission of “uniting the community to protect the children of Collier County from substance abuse.” Bowen works closely with the coalition to implement prevention programming in her school district.

Bowen, whose goal is to have an Ambassador in all Collier County Schools, orders materials for elementary, middle and high schools in Collier County, depending on the campaign, in an effort to educate students and parents – and to engage her school communities in prevention.

In 1985, drug traffickers in Mexico City kidnapped, tortured and murdered DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. A tradition emerged from this tragedy—people started wearing and displaying red ribbons to commemorate his life and to symbolize intolerance toward the use of drugs. That tradition evolved into Red Ribbon Week®, a national event that encourages schools and communities to take a visible stand against drugs and to communicate with kids on the value of making healthy, safe choices.

Red Ribbon Week 2016 is scheduled for Oct. 23-31. As the largest and oldest drug prevention program in the United States, the Red Ribbon Campaign® has reached and positively impacted millions of young people. Here is some more information about Red Ribbon Week 2016, in which an estimated 80 million people will participate, and what teachers and schools can do to make the event a success:

Did You Get The Red Ribbon Message?

Did You Pass It On Correctly?

During Red Ribbon Week®, the red ribbon is used to symbolize the importance of a healthy, drug free lifestyle. This year’s theme, YOLO. Be Drug Free.® was created by two sixth graders in Claysburg, Pennsylvania. It reminds us to take care of our minds and our bodies.

Years ago I directed an after-school program. No matter how hard I tried to educate and set my students on a path to success, if their parents or caregivers weren’t delivering the same message at home, the work was exponentially harder. Furthermore, when our overall environment is sending conflicting, unhealthy messages, we are stressed and challenged. I do believe that one person can make a difference in a child’s life, but by partnering with parents and improving community messaging, the likelihood of raising safe, healthy, drug free kids is vastly improved.