Parents come face-to-face with more than 70 drug paraphernalia items during an interactive drug education and prevention workshop.

CANTON, Mich. – Educators from Saint Joseph Mercy Health System will travel to Summit on the Park in Canton on Feb. 11 to educate parents about the various forms of drugs and the peer pressures facing students to use them.

At 6:30 p.m., parents will enter a mock bedroom of a teenager, which will be set up to resemble a teenage drug user’s room. Parents are asked to identify drug and alcohol related paraphernalia that have been placed within the room.

Throughout the presentation, more than 70 trendy drug and alcohol indicators will be unveiled to show how some adolescents hide drug and alcohol use from their parents.

Signs, symptoms and current trends of alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, tobacco and several other drugs will be presented. The program will include demonstrations to help parents initiate conversations with their child and to show parents ways they can help their child beat peer pressure.

The goal of this program is to empower parents with the knowledge they need to spot warning signs of drug abuse in time to prevent it.

Parents and guardians in the Canton Community and surrounding areas can register for this FREE program (sponsored by St. Joseph Mercy Medical Auxiliary and a partnership with Canton Leisure Services) by calling Canton Leisure Services at 734-394-5460.

Other programs available to parents throughout the region include:

• Heart to Heart – a puberty program for mothers and daughters age 9 – 12
• Sex Education 101: What Parents Need to Know – program for parents with children of any age to learn when and how to talk to their child about growing up.

Any group interested in hosting a “Drugs 101: What Parents Need to Know” program for the parents of their school, district or community, can call 734-398-7518 or e-mail healthed@trinity-health.org.