Congratulations to Hillcrest High School for winning the 2013 “Above The Influence" Youth Video Contest! See the winning video on the right! Thank you also to the other schools that participated! Your hard work and dedication are very much appreciated and we hope you will try again next year!

Allowing Your Teens to Drink in the Privacy of Your Own Home?

Some parents think that allowing teens to drink at home will teach them how to “handle their liquor” so there won't be a problem if they should choose to engage in underage drinking. But the truth is that supplying alcohol to minors can set teens on a direct path to underage drinking and alcoholism…. Follow the discussion on GFP's Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages.

Is Your Teen Using a Friend’s ADHD Medication as a Study Aide?

According to the PDF, while parents don’t believe their teens are using a friend’s ADHD prescription drugs to get better grades, some teens are doing exactly that. If not prescribed for you, ADHD medications can cause exhaustion, irregular heart beat, confusion, psychosis, addiction, and withdrawal. Follow the discussion on GFP's Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages.

Alcohol Awareness Month and Prom Season May Be Over But It's Not Too Late to Talk to Your Kids About Underage Drinking! More!

SAVE THE DATE!
The Marriott Red Ribbon Party 2013!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Join us for fun for the entire family!
Stay tuned to our website for more details!

Parents should spend time with their kids every day - not just on Family Day in September! In recognition of this, CASA is requesting input from parents across the country. To learn more, visit GFP on Facebook.

Underage Drinking – a Youth Perspective...

It’s no secret that society doesn’t have the best view on Generation Y – those born sometime between the 1980s and the early 2000s. With teens seemingly on a self-destructive path of drugs, sex, alcohol, and uninhibited behavior, there’s genuine cause to worry about the future of our generation.

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One of the major problems seen in the teenage community today - and one that is related to many of the other problems - is underage drinking. Constantly influenced by shows like “Jersey Shore” and “Buckwild” that attempt to glorify a life free of rules and responsibility; inspired by “YOLO” (You Only Live Once) and “living for the nights you can’t remember with people you’ll never forget”; and having been raised with a “Project X” mentality, teens today seem to think that there is no fault in drinking and genuinely believe that they have to drink in order to have fun.

In my personal view, underage drinking is just dumb! As an 18 year old and a senior in high school, I just can’t seem to understand why any of my peers want to drink. I mean, not only is it illegal (and comes with severe consequences if caught) but it also effects cognitive processes and brain development. Now, I don’t know about everyone else, but I personally want to do something with my life, and the thought of impairing my brain from completely developing or getting an arrest or other charge that’s permanently on my record completely freaks me out.

Nonetheless, at times it seems as if every teen drinks on a regular basis and lives for the weekend so they can get so drunk they barely remember what happened the next morning. Not just that, but more and more teens today are getting fake IDs and attempting to go to clubs and restaurants to buy and consume alcohol in public. WHAT?! Sometimes, I just really wish I could smack some kind of sense into the teens that are doing ridiculous stuff like this!

When I ask some of my classmates why they drink, the most common responses I get are “Why DON’T you drink?”; “Because it’s fun”; “I like it”; “I don’t know, I just do”; or, my personal favorite, “Everyone does it”. It completely shocks me, but for some unexplainable reason, teens today seem to think that the only way to have fun is to get drunk; maybe it’s because every time they see someone having fun on a show or in a movie, it’s because they got so drunk they couldn’t remember what happened – think, “The Hangover” (although yes, I know, they took Rohypnol).

Well, call me crazy, but I’d rather actually REMEMBER having a good time with my friends, not acting like an idiot and having everyone make fun of me, while I’m thinking I had a good time because the only thing I remember is that I “released my inhibitions” (felt the rain on my skin) and people were laughing.

For more of my rant on underage drinking and what I think parents should be doing to address this problem, check out my video in this section of the Greenville Family Partnership website. Until next time, stay classy Greenville!

Written by: Taurice Bussey, GFP Intern

Support Greenville Family Partnership through GoodSearch Year-round!

GoodSearch is a search engine which donates 50% of its revenue to nonprofits and other organizatons designated by its users. Throughout the year, you can earn donations for Greenville Family Partnership (GFP) by using GoodSearch in several ways… More

Parenting Programs

Parenting Classes—enhance the parenting skills of parents, grandparents, and other caring adults; help in the development of positive discipline, communication & anger management skills, and increase the knowledge of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

GFP offers the following parenting classes:

• Parenting Wisely — enhances parenting skills & instills confidence in parents of young children. Download Brochure
• Back in Control — helps parents get “back in control” when a kid or teen is “out of control” (Provided in Cooperation with the SC Dept. of Juvenile Justice) Download Brochure
• TransParenting - helps divorced parents communicate effectively in regards to children to lessen the negative effects of divorce on kids; it is nationally recognized by courts and attorneys. More Info or Download Brochure
• Other Classes

Parenting Classes may also be tailored to suit a particular topic or audience. For more information or to schedule a parenting class, contact Lynn Hooper or Terry Taylor at 467-4099. Or, you may send an email to lynn@gfpdrugfree.org or terry@gfpdrugfree.org.

Guns, Guns Everywhere… Even in a Classroom! What do you think about a law that allows teachers to carry a gun in the classroom? Do you think that teachers carrying guns would prevent school shootings? How do you feel about your child being in a classroom with a teacher who is armed with a gun?

Do you have an opinion that you would like to share? If so, we would love to hear it.

SAFE HOMES

A NETWORK OF PARENTS WORKING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE A SAFE HOME, A SAFE FROM ALCOHOL, A SAFE FROM DRUGS, AND A SAFE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT----More