FIRST LADY: PARENTS PIVOTAL IN KEEPING TEENS AWAY FROM DRUGS

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - While in Washington, D.C., this week, Wyoming First
Lady Nancy Freudenthal joined national officials to help raise awareness
that parents really can make a difference in whether their children
choose to abuse drugs.

Freudenthal joined the White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy to unveil a new "Open Letter" print ad that highlights proven
actions parents can take to help their teens successfully navigate the
minefield of risky behaviors during the adolescent years, including
setting rules and consequences, keeping close tabs on their teens and
monitoring their teens' time on the Internet.

The Open Letter ad, signed by 16 prevention and parenting
organizations, including the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free,
which Freudenthal co-chairs, will be published next week in the top 25
media markets in national and local newspapers and in select magazines.

"From my experience in working with children and families in Wyoming,
I know that raising a child who stays away from drugs and alcohol is not
an easy task," Freudenthal said at the event. "There are so many
influences out there that can affect our kids. From television to music,
to the Internet, as a parent, it's hard to keep up with what your
child is doing. But you need to - the teen years are when they need us
most. We need to be there for them to teach them how to respond to those
negative influences that can harm them and hurt their futures."

Research shows that teenagers who have a positive relationship with
their parents are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, according to
the White House ONDCP. Parents are a powerful influence in keeping their
teens off of drugs and other dangers, such as underage drinking,
cigarette use and sexual activity. And, according to new data, the
majority of teens say the greatest risk in using marijuana is upsetting
their parents (69 percent), followed by losing the respect of friends
and family (67.2 percent). Other findings include:

-Positive relationships or connectedness between parents and
adolescents is linked to avoidance or lower use of alcohol, tobacco, and
illicit drugs;

-Adolescents who have high-quality relationships with their parents are
less likely to initiate sex or be sexually active;

-Teens whose parents use a "balanced" parenting style - are warm,
and involved, firm in setting limits, and show respect for their teen -
do better in school, report less depression, and anxiety, have higher
self-esteem and self-reliance, and are less likely to engage in all
types of risky or problem behavior, including drug and alcohol use, sex,
or violence.

"We're here to tell parents they are not alone. Research tells us
there are some straightforward steps parents can take not only to help
prevent drug use, but to reduce risk-taking across-the-board," said
John Walters, director of National Drug Control Policy. "We think
parents and caregivers will find the information on how to monitor their
kids practical and useful in their everyday lives."

The 16 health, prevention, and parenting organizations and
telecommunications firms that signed the nationwide Open Letter include:
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; American Academy of
Family Physicians; American Academy of Pediatrics; American Legacy
Foundation; American Lung Association; CTIA-The Wireless Association;
Cox Communications; Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free; National
African American Tobacco Prevention Network; National Asian Pacific
American Families Against Substance Abuse; National Cable and
Telecommunications Association; National Campaign to Prevent Teen
Pregnancy; National Families in Action; National Latino Children's
Institute; Qwest Communications; and The Partnership for a Drug-Free
America. The Open Letter can be viewed at: www.mediacampaign.org.

ONDCP also unveiled new resources for parents, including a parent
handbook and an interactive CD-ROM, new parent television ads created by
Grey Worldwide New York (viewable at www.mediacampaign.org:
http://www.mediacampaign.org/mg/television.html), and announced a
nationwide "Risky Behaviors Educational Tour" to support parents of
teens in 10 cities through local media outreach and roundtables across
the country, in the next few months. Markets include: Atlanta, San
Diego, Miami, Denver, Raleigh-Durham, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth,
Milwaukee, Los Angeles, and Houston.

The two new resources for parents, produced by ONDCP's National Youth
Anti-Drug Media Campaign, include, "Navigating the Teen Years: A
Parent's Handbook for Raising Healthy Teens," and "The Teen Years:
A Road Map for Parents" CD-ROM. These resources offer parents
research-based information and skills shown to help prevent teen
risk-taking, and provide hands-on tools to help them address the
challenges of raising teens. The handbook and CD-ROM are available free
of charge and can be viewed and ordered through www.TheAntiDrug.com, the
Media Campaign's Web site for parents.

Since its inception in 1998, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media
Campaign has conducted outreach to millions of parents, teens, and
communities to reduce and prevent teen drug use. Counting on an
unprecedented blend of public and private partnerships, nonprofit
community service organizations, volunteerism, and youth-to-youth
communications, the Campaign is designed to reach Americans of diverse
backgrounds with effective anti-drug messages.