Keep Kids Off Drugs

Mission: St. Louis is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the at-risk population of St. Louis City.  They focus on helping and supporting every age group so that they have an opportunity to have overall healthy and stable lives.  The focus of the health they promote isn’t just about nutrition and exercise.  Of course these aspects of health are very important, but their focus is the overall picture.  They take a holistic approach and want to see all people they serve have a great well-being by their mental stability, employment, exceeding in school, finding God, etc.  To this organization, health is the big picture of a functioning, established lifestyle.

This organization really does a lot for kids. They provide after school services that include academic support, social/emotional mentoring, community engagement, and other opportunities.  Helping these kids every day after school keeps them off the streets where they are unsupervised.

Drugs are a major problem for kids in St. Louis City.  According to dmh.mo.gov, St. Louis City is the highest ranked area in the state of Missouri for alcohol and drug abuse amongst adults and teens.  Parents should know how to talk to their kids about drugs and realize the signs that their kids may be abusing substances. 

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), there are many things a parent can do to help keep their kids away from drugs.

 

Here are rules for parents to follow: 

1.   Talk to your child about drugs and why they’re wrong.

2.   Be present in their lives and know what they’re doing.

3.   Make sure clear rules are set and enforced.

4.   Be a good example to your kids.

5.   Teach your kids how to refuse drugs.

6.   Make your home a safe home.

 Read more on parental tips at: http://www.easyread.drugabuse.gov/drug-free-children-teens.php

These simple steps and many others can help kids and teens to live healthier lives now and in their future.

Kids are our world’s future, and healthy kids have a far greater chance at having a better future than unhealthy ones.  If they learn and practice a healthy lifestyle when they’re young, they will know and hopefully practice that same healthy lifestyle when they’re adults.  Mission: St. Louis helps children succeed and stay on the right track to a healthy future, no matter what background they are from.

For more information on Mission: St. Louis and all they do for kids, please visit: http://www.missionstl.org/

Sources

(n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2015, from

 http://dmh.mo.gov/ada/countylinks/prevneedsprofile2002/saintlouiscity.pdf

Help Children and Teens Stay Drug-Free. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from

http://www.easyread.drugabuse.gov/drug-free-children-teens.php