Just Say Know, a book by Cynthia Kuhn, Scott Swartzwelder and Wilkie Wilson, three Duke Medical Center professors, is a wonderful parental aid for any parent who wants to steer their child away from drugs. The title may be a play on words, but the experts tell us that the campaign to Just Say No has not really stopped the problem of drug use by young people. It is not enough for parents to say, "No", they must also teach their kids why drugs are harmful.

This book is a step-by-step guide showing parents how to relay the message that teens should not use drugs. More important it teaches kids why it is bad for their health. First it gives parents a crash course in the most popular drugs, their effects on the body and brain, and how to explain to your child why they are illegal or dangerous. Second, it offers you the exact language you can use to tell kids about these drugs. It gives easy to understand examples and a laundry list of symptoms, side effects and long-term results of using these drugs.

You do not need to be a pharmacist or neural surgeon to understand the manner in which the book is written. The technical stuff is all boiled down to the easiest most understandable facts. Parents will find this a refreshing change from some material out there that does little to clear up the mystery of drug use and addiction.

These experts explain the whole known truth about each drug and most important its effect on the young, still-growing brain. They tell us that many chemicals that have little or no effect on an adult can be devastating or deadly to the young person. We are told that chemicals like marijuana can alter the brain of a young person so significantly that it can hinder learning, playing a sport, or even reading music.

Especially helpful for parents with young children is the advice on how to teach the attitude that many things are drugs and we should be very careful about what we put into our body. Teaching children when they are very young seems to be the answer for helping kids to become aware of that fact in order to stay healthy. The simple language suggested and easy to understand examples make this an ideal teaching tool for anyone working with very young children.

The authors of this book show us the importance of getting this information to young people in an honest way. The facts must be understood and accepted as reality for teens to make a healthy choice about drug use. Sugar coating the problem of drug use and addiction must be avoided as well as giving information that drugs have results they do not have if you are to be believable. We, as parents and educators, must do anything possible to keep our kids off drugs. Let's start by arming ourselves with knowledge and passing on factual information to our children. We should not pretend approval and we should stick to our family values, but this book reminds us we are not always there to hold a child's hand when he is faced with the choice of drug use. Kids really do want to know the truth and value parent's opinions.

Kids and parents alike are warned of the dangers including death that may possibly result from ingesting, snorting, huffing, or injecting different chemicals. It is vital kids understand that sometimes serious health problems or even death can occur after just one use. With today's designer and street drugs, it is impossible to know the purity and strength of the drug you are taking. This adds an additional element of danger.

In addition to the health problems and legal problems, these authors explore the resulting behaviors and lack of inhibitions, which could lead to drunk driving, violence, and date rape situations.

Many years of combined expertise, as well as personal experience working with drug abusers, make this a must read book for any parent or worker wanting to really make a difference in preventing children from being another drug-using statistic.

Credits: Jo Ann Wentzel