Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, has been designated as Family Day by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Family Day is a movement to celebrate parental engagement as an effective tool to help keep America’s kids substance free. Family Day reflects how important it is to connect with your kids at various times throughout the day, including while driving your kids to soccer practice, tucking little ones into bed, or having frequent family dinners. These everyday activities have a lasting effect on your children. Each of these moments offers an opportunity to communicate with your kids and to really listen to what’s on their mind.

“America’s drug problem is not going to be solved in courtrooms or legislative hearing rooms by judges and politicians. It will be solved in living rooms and dining rooms and across kitchen tables – by parents and families.” – Joseph A. Califano, Jr., The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse Founder and Chairman Emeritus

As children age, it is vital to keep those lines of communication open, especially during adolescence when they are at risk of engaging in risky behavior including smoking, drinking or using other drugs.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse tells us:

• Adolescence is the critical period for the initiation of risky substance use and its consequences.
• Nine out of 10 Americans who meet the medical criteria for addiction started smoking, drinking or using other drugs before age 18.
• Addiction is a disease that in most cases begins in adolescence so preventing or delaying teens from using nicotine, alcohol or other drugs for as long as possible is crucial to their health and safety.

While there are no silver bullets – addiction can strike any family regardless of ethnicity, affluence, age or gender – parental engagement can be a simple, effective tool to help you prevent substance use in your kids.

By Stephanie Watson

While our abilities, even our faculties, may diminish with age, our need to enjoy the best of what it means to be human still remains. That’s why I strongly believe the importance of activities and fellowship is so crucial to a healthy lifestyle. Join in at 11 a.m. Monday and Wednesday at the Osage County Senior Center for arthritis friendly exercise.

Starting Sept. 21 through Oct. 3, the center will have a leaf contest – bring in your most vibrant hand-selected leaves and we will judge three categories, the most unique, largest intact leaf, and most vibrant.  And while you’re here, join in other activities.

The center is at 604 Market St., Osage City. Call 785-528-4906 for more information.