DRUGS, PARENTS, AND CHILDREN: The Three-Way Connection

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 10, 1971

This hardline manual on how parents might best prevent or cope with ""druggism"" (the habitual use of any psychoactive drug -- marijuana, alcohol, speed, harder stuff) sounds very much like what you've been hearing on the talk shows lately. Teach your kid to respect and obey the law, give him love and understanding with firmness (""No youngster is going to respect the law unless he starts out by respecting your law""), be consistent (""You can't have Mother withholding aspirin and Father gobbling tranquilizers""), and chances are druggism can be avoided. But if your Dick or Jane does start messing around the scene (it's hard to determine but complexion changes, sudden slovenliness, deteriorating grades, etc. could be clues), don't shilly-shally: issue a ""NO DRUGS"" ultimatum and if that doesn't work, don't be hesitant to use stronger methods (""you can even use the courts to enforce your demand"" or as a last resort throw the freak out of the house -- he'll probably be back). The favored way however is the therapeutic family way -- Synanon, Phoenix House (Rosenthal organized and runs New York's House) -- where group encounters are surrogates for mom and dad's straight-from-the-heavyhand talk of horse, heads, and grass (four taped encounters sounding more like lemon sessions are included here). Rosenthal and Mothner (a former Look editor) are prescriptive, homiletic, unequivocal, hard-nosed, and dogmatic. The law-and-order crowd will turn on.

Pub Date: Feb. 10, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1971

Categories: NONFICTION