By Greg Ellison

Staff Writer

(Dec. 5, 2019) Providing parents the tools to foster healthy life decisions, especially regarding drug and alcohol experimentation, is the intent of the Worcester County Health Department’s “Guiding Good Choices” classes, which begin this Monday, Dec. 9.

Dave Baker, health department alcohol and drug prevention coordinator, said the free five-week series would be held in Berlin each Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services center, 124 S. Main Street, Suite C.

“It’s about parenting behaviors but also teaching parents how to look out for any drug use or any signs that something is going wrong,” he said.

For about the last quarter century, the family competency training class has provided current data about the evolution of illicit substances youths might be exposed to from peer groups.

“Teaching the kids refusal skills when somebody offers them something,” he said.

Targeted at parents of middle school age children, the class series also delves into topics such as anger management and forming healthy bonds.

“Explaining to parents what kind of drugs are out there [and] what the kids might get into,” he said.

The good choices interactive course was designed by social scientists to help parents and guardians support youths who are navigating through challenging situations.

“We bring somebody from the community, either from one of the schools or a police officer, to talk about what’s going on in the community,” he said.

The street-level insights are often eye-opening for parents.

“In this day and age, there’s a lot of questions about what’s happening out there with heroin and stuff,” he said. “This is a good chance for them to actually talk to somebody and learn some skills on what to do if they suspect things.”

Baker said the advent of social media has made accessing illegal substances easier.

“One thing parents have to realize, compared to when they were younger, is that social media makes things more available,” he said. “They don’t realize how available this stuff is to the kids.”

Talking about the dangers of drug use, and the increasing incidence of overdose deaths stemming from powerful drugs such as fentanyl, could be the key to encouraging youth to bypass dangerous drug-related situations.

“Of course, the key is never start,” he said.

Travis Brown, health department public affairs officer, said the use of social media has had other societal ramifications.

“It’s not just the drugs, social media magnifies all kinds of problems and challenges,” he said. “Even with stuff like cyber bullying, it’s a whole new world.”

Baker said interested parents are encouraged to pre-register but could also simply attend the opening class on Monday to sign up.

“They need to be at all five classes because they all kind of feed into each other,” he said. “It’s the same program just different drugs now.”

The Guiding Good Choices instructional series is free and taught by certified instructors. For more information or to register call 410-632-1100 ext. 1106.