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Frequently Asked Questions About Know!®
Q: What is Know!?
A: Know! empowers parents to raise their children to be substance-free. Know! provides parents with the tools they need to surround 11-13-year-old children with messages they can understand about staying free from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Know! provides parents with twice monthly Know! Parent Tips via e-mail or postcard. Know! Parent Tips contain current facts about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use among youth, as well as action steps for parents to take to help their children resist using.
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Q: What does Know! stand for? Is it an acronym?
A: Know! is not an acronym, but it does stand for a very important concept when it comes to preventing alcohol, tobacco and drug use: knowledge. Know!'s primary goal is to increase parental knowledge about substance use and effective strategies for keeping youth substance free.
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Q: Why was Know! created?
A: Surveys, both nationally and in Franklin County, have shown increases in the number of children who begin experimenting with alcohol, tobacco or other drugs beginning between 6th and 8th grade. Yet the most concentrated prevention programs target younger children.
Research has also shown that parents of middle school youth are unfamiliar with the wealth of prevention programs and resources available in their community. Parents have reported the need for greater awareness and tools to help their children stay substance-free.
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Q: Who is Know! trying to reach?
A: Know! targets parents of children ages 11 – 13. Research clearly shows that parents are the first line of defense when it comes to preventing use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs among youth. While children seem like they are not listening at that age, studies show that children still cite parents as the number one influence on whether or not they try substances. Further, studies show that children whose parents are actively involved in their lives are less likely to use substances.
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Q: Why are parents of children ages 11-13 Know!'s target audience?
A: Research tells us that the middle school years, ages 11-13, are the most vulnerable for youth when it comes to the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. According to a 1997 survey of Franklin County students, the number of children who report being drug-free declines from 78% in 6th grade to 53% in 8th grade.
These years are also difficult for parents as they struggle to give their children more independence while still providing the guidance and information children need. As children and parents enter this challenging time, increased communication and information about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs has been shown to make a positive difference and serve as a deterrent to children using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
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Q: Who is involved in the Know! Initiative?
A: Know! is a growing membership of parents, prevention agencies, educators, community leaders and individuals who share the goal of preventing and reducing the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Know! is a collaboration of Drug-Free Action Alliance and the United Way of Central Ohio.
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Q: What is the Know! Pledge?
A: The Know! Pledge is the first step to becoming a Know! member. Regardless of the role they choose to undertake, each parent, agency, school, business or community supporter is asked to take the Know! Pledge as a tangible reminder of their commitment to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs among our community's youth.
With the pledge, each person or organization can indicate their level of commitment by selecting items they agree to fulfill. From displaying Know! material in a store window, to talking to children about staying substance-free, to attending Know! events, everyone will have an opportunity to incorporate Know! into their life - continuing to build the level of awareness and support for keeping children substance-free.
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Q: How is Know! being funded?
A: Currently, Know! receives primary funding from the United Way of Central Ohio. To supplement those funds, Know! is seeking additional financial support and in-kind donations from a variety of sources, including additional grants, corporations, businesses, etc.
For more information on Know! funding or to contribute, please
contact Know! Project Director, at 1-866-999-KNOW or
Know@DrugFreeActionAlliance.org.
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Q: Is Know! a school-based program?
A: No. While Know! is working closely with the schools in the target communities, Know! is a community-wide initiative because research shows that prevention takes a community-wide approach. Everyone has a role to play in being a role model and sending positive messages to our community's youth. The schools are a natural vehicle to reach parents so we do work closely with them. Know! participates in many school activities where we know we can reach parents.
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Q: What role will the schools play in Know!?
A: Research has shown that parents want and trust information from their children's schools, but Know! understands that schools have other priorities that are just as important as substance use prevention. Know! will not ask schools to institute any new programming. Instead, Know! has fashioned efforts to build support with a broader base of concerned parties - raising awareness throughout the community that prevention is a shared responsibility, not just an issue for schools.
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Q: How can prevention agencies and businesses get involved in Know!?
A: The first step for anyone to get involved is to call the
toll-free Know! Fact Line at 1.866.999.KNOW (5669) and ask for the Know! Project Director.
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Q: What are the goals of Know!?
A: The goals of Know! are:
- Increase parent's knowledge about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use;
- Increase parental awareness that their child is at-risk for using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs;
- Increase parental knowledge of effective parenting techniques for keeping youth substance free; and
- Increase the number of conversations parents have with their children about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
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Q: How does Know! tie in with national campaigns like Partnership For a Drug Free America or the Truth Campaign?
A: Know! is independently created with no official ties to any national organizations or coalitions. However, an extensive research review of the leading anti-alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention agencies - and consultation with them - yielded recommendations for the appropriate target audience as well as guidelines for effective messages and delivery techniques.
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Q: What type of information will Internet users find on the Know! Web site?
A: The Know! Web site (www.HelpThemKnow.com) provides parents, educators, prevention professionals, businesses and other community leaders with the information they need to get involved in Know! and make a difference in empowering children to be substance-free.
Visitors to the site can: take the Know! Pledge, download a parent/caregiver handbook, sign up for free parent tips, and learn the facts about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.
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Q: What is the Know! Fact Line number?
A: The toll-free, Know! Fact Line number is 1-866-999-KNOW (5669).
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Q: What type of information will callers receive via the Know! Fact Line?
A: Callers to the toll-free Know! Fact Line will have access to the following information:
- Facts about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
- Sign up to receive Know! Parent Tips
- Information about bringing Know! to your community
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