The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence coordinated a "Family Day for Prevention" in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The purpose was to raise awareness, and some additional funds, for the Middlesex County Substance Abuse Coalition.

"The key to drug, alcohol and substance abuse prevention is education, and the first line of defense against it is parenting, [Nina] Nieves said. 'The values that we impart is what they're going to give back to us. If I say "You cannot drink until you're 21, and then drink in moderation," I have to enforce it so they (my children) can learn by example,' Nieves said."

The 2nd annual Family Day included a 5k run, a bike ride, and it raised several hundred dollars for the Middlesex Coalition. Read more at THNT.com.

Parents struggling with troubled teens and drugs can find help at ByParents-ForParents.com. Read The Signs of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Teenagers to learn more.

Labels: awareness, education, prevention