Testimonies about training
Cannabis is more and more commonplace.
It takes courage to tell the truth about cannabis which is too often trivialized. My generation (I am 40 years old) trivializes its use and I confirm that all social groups and generations are affected (Parents, Grandparents) even in my professional sphere. Cannabis and alcohol are evils prevailing in society and affect ALL OF OUR YOUTH, even the very young (well-off , intellectuals ... ). Unfortunately it's all true!
Having spent a few months at a university in the USA (Florida) i discovered that some very good teachers also smoked cannabis. I was shocked by how commonplace it was and this was 20 years ago. The funny thing was that they were always warned in advance when they were going to be tested by urinalysis so that they could avoid testing positive.
The situation is the same in France today, 20 years later. As a mother of 3 boys, I do worry. Drugs are everywhere and my children may have to say no to their best friend. I will buy your book and tell my entourage to read it. Thank you for making me discover Sister Elvira. You are my references!
We, parents, have to mobilize ourselves to inform our children
After having followed a seminar in Enfance Sans Drogue, I realized that it was urgent that parents become invested in informing our young children about the dangers of drugs.
I called the director of my children's school with a proposal to speak on this issue to 4th and 5th grade classes.
She agreed to have a 1 hour 30 minutes session in each of the classes, with the teacher present.
The children were very interested and asked many pertinent questions. On another occasion, I met a small group of 5th graders who were in 4th grade when I came to their class and who sincerely wished to have another information session to go deeper into the problem.
To put it in a nutshell, I was happily surprised by the quality the exchanges I had with the pupils on this occasion and how the sessions went so smoothly. It was a confirmation that we, parents, have to mobilize ourselves by all means to prevent our children getting trapped by this curse. If not us, then who else?
Short of arguments and alone, what a relief
it was when I discovered Enfance Sans Drogue
Looking back on it, I told myself that I joined the organization – in 2000 – out of a mother's pure love! Actually, it was the fear that I would find out too late or say to myself "If only I had known!", especially for my 16 year old daughter, when my husband and I had been managing a night club for years.
By chance, an information session was taking place near to my house. At last I knew what to say, I felt strong for my children and ready to launch myself into the battle. Without going into details, the "parents' training session" helped me a lot. Even now, I am astonished by the number of parents who completely ignore the dangers of hashish. What a pity! As my personal activities changed, I ceased to run the parents' training sessions in recent years but I realized that despite my three children laughing at me, they were proud to say that I was an "anti-hashish activist". And then, as the cherry on the cake, at Christmas lunch, as we were laughing at everyone's "mannerisms" my son Nicolas whispered into my ear: "You know, mum, we have often laughed at you and your "meetings" but actually it really helped us to say no!" What a joy! It was more than enough to resume the training sessions and continue the fight.
Teaching children in 5th grade
Given the fact that young people are worried about drugs at an earlier and earlier age, Enfance Sans Drogue is focusing on 5th grade pupils.
The objective of this decision is to teach the youngest to say no to drugs, to get them used to saying no absolutely, without compromise, without hesitating. The little ones show lots of common sense, of truthfulness: they are not easily deceived.
At their age, children are very receptive, so with the little children, let us not hesitate and tell them the truth with lots of love.
