FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[date of release and city]

Workshops in [community name] to help parents

improve family bonding and reduce risk of teenage drug use

In a workshop series called Guiding Good Choices® being offered in [community], parents will learn how to strengthen their bonds with their children and reduce the risk that their children will use drugs. The five-week program is being offered by [organization name] at [site, dates and times].

Guiding Good Choices is an interactive program for all parents of children in grades 4-8. In a lively and open atmosphere, parents will learn specific strategies to help their children avoid drug use and other adolescent problem behaviors,
and develop into healthy adults. Parents will learn to set clear family guidelines
on drugs, as well as learn and practice skills to strengthen family bonds, help
their children develop healthy behaviors, and increase children’s involvement
in the family.

The Guiding Good Choices program, from Channing Bete Company, was developed by Dr. J. David Hawkins and Dr. Richard F. Catalano of the University of Washington. Their research has shown that when children are bonded to their parents, school and non-drug-using peers, they are less likely to get involved in drug use or other behavior problems.

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Permission is granted to modify and reproduce this press release for use with the
Guiding Good Choices® program.

©2002 Channing Bete Company, Inc.

Studies of Guiding Good Choices have shown that the program is effective in strengthening parent-child bonds and preventing teenagers from starting to use alcohol and other drugs.

An alarming number of teenagers today will use alcohol or marijuana before leaving high school. According to the most recent Monitoring the Future national survey, about one-third of the high school seniors surveyed had used alcohol in the past month, and more than 20% had used marijuana in the past month.

[If available, insert a statement here referring to state or local statistics on teenage drug use in your area.]

Workshop activities are based on Hawkins’ and Catalano’s Social Development Strategy, a theory of human behavior that identifies the factors that promote social bonding and positive behavior. In a review of research conducted over the past 30 years, Hawkins and Catalano have also identified twenty factors that increase the risk of teenage drug use, as well as delinquency, teen pregnancy, dropping out of school and violence.

The series is sponsored by [list primary sponsors]. Cost to parents attending

the workshops will be [amount]. Scholarships, child care and transportation

will be available.

For more information, please contact [name] at [phone number or e-mail].

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