Judge Memorial Catholic High hosts 'Drug Talk' for parents

SALT LAKE CITY — One of the biggest threats to kids today is drugs, and specifically the ease with which they can enter your home. It isn’t from some guy in the back alley. It could be from the local convenience store, your own medicine cabinet, or your child’s best friend. Kids’ drugs of choice today are not something you have to smoke, or shoot, or snort. Often they’re candy-flavored pills. And every home and family is vulnerable.

"It’s not what you think," said Brad Barham, president and founder of Drug Talk Crisis Center. "Drugs are everywhere, and they’re hidden in plain sight. The problem is in the home. But the solution is simple, and it’s also in the home."

Judge Memorial Catholic High School and Drug Talk Crisis Center have teamed up to present a discussion on the serious threat – and changing face – of drugs affecting teens. Barham will speak at a special session of Judge’s semi-annual Parent-to-Parent Night March 29, at 7 p.m. in the music room at Judge Memorial, 650 So. 1100 E., Salt Lake City. Barham will explain how parents can use step-by-step tools, in-home resources, and ongoing guidance to rise above the drug crisis facing many families. Parents are encouraged to come and learn what can be done in their own homes to thwart this problem.

Drug Talk was founded by local activists Brian Charlesworth and Brad Barham, who insist that when parents/guardians have the necessary skills, they can protect their children from drugs more effectively than any other school – or agency-sponsored drug awareness program. These skills enable parents to "talk so kids listen, and listen so kids talk," which helps avoid putting kids in a defensive mode. Kids are regularly exposed to drugs and drug users, and consequently have difficult decisions to make often. If they feel safe talking to adults about how to make these decisions, they will do so, putting parents in a position to protect their kids.

For more information about Drug Talk, visit www.drugtalk.org.

Call (801) 517-2130 for more information about this Parent-to-Parent session or log onto www.judgememorial.com/parent2parent.php.