The photo of Michael Phelps smoking pot has been circulated around the world. Though there were some consequences (like Kellogg pulling its sponsorship), he gets to keep his gold medals and most of his other sponsorships. So how does a parent use this story to talk to kids about the dangers of using marijuana?

"[Marsha] Rosenbaum [a sociologist] said the most important thing to keep in mind when talking to kids about drugs is that 'abstinence is really the best choice, but honesty is critical.' ... Rosenbaum said it's also 'no longer possible to offer the scare tactics that we've used for the last 20 years. You can't credibly say [that] if you smoke pot on Saturday, by the following weekend you'll be a heroin addict."

Rosenbaum encourages parents to use Phelps' story as an opportunity to share the facts, including potential legal ramifications. Nearly 40,000 people in New York City were arrested last year on marijuana-related charges, and similar numbers were arrested in other large cities, such as Atlanta and Cleveland. Source: Telegraph-Journal (Canada)

Labels: parental_involvement, communication, relationships

Posted By: Aspen Education Group