Anti-Drug Family Activities

Get involved in your children's everyday lives to learn more about their friends and what they are exposed to in the media so you can guide them to make good choices. According to Partnership for a Drug Free America, kids are 50 percent less likely to use drugs or alcohol when the risks of these behaviors are communicated by their parents.

  1. Family Meeting and Contract

    • Plan a family meeting when everybody has time to discuss the dangers of drugs. KidsHealth.org recommends beginning conversations with your children about drugs by asking open-ended questions when they are between the ages of 8 and 12 years old. If you have teenagers, this activity is still appropriate. Speak candidly about the consequences of using alcohol and drugs and how it can impact your children̵7;s lives. Discuss why people choose to use drugs and where those bad decisions can lead. Ask your children questions about drug use and their knowledge of drugs. Use this discussion to create a contract against drug use. Develop and write down consequences that will be put into place if any family member is caught with drugs. When the contract is complete, sign the contract together.

    Media

    • Teach your children about drug use in the media and how its portrayal can affect your children̵7;s choices. Watch television, listen to music, look at magazines and view other advertising outlets and with your children. Write down any references to drugs or alcohol. Discuss the details of each reference, such as how drugs and alcohol were portrayed. If drug use is portrayed with a positive spin, discuss the negative outcomes or consequences that were not shown in the media, such as overdosing, getting into an accident or trouble with law enforcement.

    Have Fun

    • Have fun together as a family. Talk to your children about exciting ways to spend their free time without getting high. Allow all family members to contribute their ideas. Put together a list of these activities, such as going to the movies, playing sports or cooking a meal. Choose activities based on your family̵7;s specific interests. Each week, plan a family day to participate in one of the activities on your list. Show your children the countless ways to have fun that don't include drugs and alcohol.

    Role-Playing

    • Plan an evening of role-playing with your family to help your children avoid drug use. Brainstorm different situations and circumstances when peer pressure may influence your children to take drugs or use alcohol. Use role-playing as an activity to act out these scenarios. Take turns being the person who is saying no and the person who is using peer pressure. Practice different ways of saying no to drugs to prepare your children for possible situations when they might be confronted with drug use.

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