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This Grandparents Day is an opportunity to celebrate grandparents who are actively involved in shaping the lives of their grandchildren. This can often include being a positive role model and influence while sharing life experiences.

Grandparents may even be expected to speak to their grandchildren about drugs, peer pressure, and drug overdose. The opioid epidemic has impacted every community in Louisiana. Resources like the Seniors’ Guide to Fentanyl and local drug education programs in the state are crucial.

While it focuses on prevention, it also offers valuable information easily shared with younger people. Your grandchildren can benefit from this form of drug education.

When speaking to your grandchildren about drugs, keep things age-appropriate and use language that is easy for a child or teen to understand. There are different ways to discuss the topic depending on their age.

When speaking to teens or young adults, ask open-ended questions like: What do you know about fentanyl? Or What are your thoughts on drug use? Are you concerned about someone offering you drugs?

Share personal experiences and examples of peer pressure and how it was managed. While the approaches to peer pressure are much different today because of social media, the practical methods of handling or avoiding it can still be applied.

Please encourage them to speak to their parents or caregivers and help them create a trusting environment with the people they live with. Get them to ask questions and voice their opinions, as this becomes the best way to share ideas and gain knowledge.

The goal is to help them make informed and responsible decisions while avoiding potentially dangerous situations, like buying illegal drugs online.

Illegal fentanyl is made into counterfeit pills that resemble common prescription pain medication and are sold on social media platforms. Drug dealers use code words and emojis to advertise products, often targeting young people.

In Louisiana, counterfeit pills and other illicit substances laced with fentanyl were involved in the deaths of more than 1,000 residents in 2022. During that year, 64% of drug-related deaths involved fentanyl. This was a 41% increase from 2019.

Drug education saves lives, and your grandchildren can benefit from this information.

 

Marie Garceau has been working in the field of substance use and addiction recovery for over a decade. Her primary focus is to reach out to the community and spread awareness. She does this to educate others about the dangers of drug use and help them make informed decisions.