1. Working with parents of Cannabis users on the helpline Nathalie Dekker Drugs Infolijn The Netherlands 1 october 2007

2. New research on alcohol and parenting A lot of Dutch parents introduce their children to alcohol: This is not a good strategy Talking a lot about alcohol is not always effective Drinking young = drinking more + increased risk of addiction Forbidding children to drink before 16 is good strategy Parent is role model

3. Differences with our cannabis advice: importance of talking negative effect of forbidding limited influence of parents importance of negociating

4. alcohol - cannabis Similar: -both parenting issues (like school, relationships, house rules) -both negative effects on brain development -both connected with issues like experimenting, peer pressure -both can be noticed

5. Alcohol-cannabis Different: -cannabis is illegal/less normalized -children may be more secretive about cannabis use -alcohol use is more common (80-90% versus 15-30%) -cannabis is often an experiment that will not leed to a habit -cannabis use is more often connected with e.g.problems at school/home/law: needs other strategies?

6. What do we need to know? -Do you have to forbid drugs, like you should forbid alcohol? Do parents have the influence make this possible? -Untill which age? 16? -Should you be careful about talking too much? -What if they are already experimenting? - …

7. Forbidding? The scientist Rutger Engels says: Yes. probably an effective strategy. No negociating. But similar to alcohol, you’ll have to explain why. More research is needed But what do we do in the meantime?

8. Age? -16? 18? 21? -First use of cannabis is later than first use alcohol. -Brain development doesn’t stop at 16 or 18.

9. talking Research says: not too early, but before child gets in touch with substance (with cannabis later than with alcohol) not too often in a proper way: must be clear that children are not allowed to use it because it’s bad for their health.

10. What if they are already using cannabis? -Too late to forbid? When is it (not) too late? -What if it’s too late to forbid? Alcohol research: Talking about risks Negociating Teaching them to say no Teaching them to reduce their use Stay in touch (why is he/she drinking?) -

11. in short: child younger than 16- not using : forbid child younger than 16/ using : negociate child older than 16 : negociate Do we agree?

12. The end