How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid: The Straight Dope for Parents, written by Joseph A. Califano, Jr., is intended as a helpful guide for parents grappling with concerns about teen use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.  Califano is a former member of President Jimmy Carter’s cabinet and served as Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. He is also the founder and chairman of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

“Parents love their children dearly and work very hard to raise them,” said Rodger McDaniel, Wyoming Department of Health Deputy Director for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. “But regardless of how dedicated parents are, there are cultural voices emanating from the internet, music, movies, billboards, magazines, advertising messages and more that provide children with an unhealthy view of their world.”

McDaniel encouraged parents to seek out the book. “We often lament that children don’t arrive with owner’s manuals. With this book, parents now have available a manual on handling one of the most critical aspects of parenting:  keeping children drug-free.”