Build a Drug-Free Community Together
As a parent, you want to know you are doing all you can to protect your child from peer pressure, mental illness, and the like. You want your children in the adolescent and teen years to feel comfortable expressing their needs and fears.
Talking about substance use disorders is hard, but talking about it is one of the most important protective factors for a parent. How do you start the conversation? What if your child gets defensive or shuts down? What if they have already experimented? How do you motivate them to prevent substance use?
You want children, adolescents and teens to understand the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse. If you and your partner are working full time or you’re a single parent, it can be a challenge to carve out family time to teach kids that making good choices matters.
Reality Tour is an inclusive drug prevention program developed by a parent for parents. You and your child will learn coping skills and hear real experiences that will be remembered for years.
One Powerful Experience for You and Your Child
Why should you and your child attend Reality Tour? Family history and experiences in early childhood are intimately linked. This means parents are the most powerful prevention tool!
- Reality Tour is one powerful experience that will open dialogue with your child for years to come. It only requires a few hours in an evening or weekend and is affordable for families to attend.
- Reality Tour is an inclusive substance abuse prevention program, developed for parents by parents. It connects multiple community-based organizations to reduce risk factors for teen drug use.
- You and your child will learn coping skills together and hear real experiences from law enforcement and individuals in recovery.
- Know you are doing all you can to protect and build trust with your child. Reality Tour jumpstarts the discussion at home and makes talking about behavioral health easier.
Reality Tour Substance Abuse Prevention Outcomes
Survey: Youth 90 days after attending Reality Tour
Bring Reality Tour to Your Home
FAQs
Reality Tour is a community-based drug prevention system designed as a single event to engage parents, but it’s also a vehicle that networks community resources to enhance prevention on multi-levels. Held in the evening or weekend so parents WILL attend, the system puts parent and child on the same page. Reality Tour® is not scare tactics, per our University of Pittsburgh researcher’s documentation. A needs assessment survey of parents in 2002 revealed their desire for prevention programs to include the possible, ultimate consequences of experimentation.
Reality Tour is delivered in 3 parts:
1. The Consequences
- Narrated scenes of life
- Emotional learning for lasting recall
- Appropriate for youth ages 10-17 with a parent
2. The Coping Skills
- Recognize 1st signs of use
- Personal goals for drug prevention developed
- Refusal skills engagement
- Home prevention launch materials
- Enduring impact on teen brain
3. The Interviews
- Law officer relates local trends
- Youth in recovery de-glamourizes use
Yes, pre-registration is required. This helps volunteers prepare in advance. Some locations charge $5 per person to attend, others may waive the fee. The fee is always waived for families on free or reduced lunch programs. To register visit our location page.
Reality Tour runs approximately 2 hours. It is most often held in the evenings or on a weekend so parents can attend.
The cost for the license the program model is an affordable $3,500 with an annual renewal fee of $500. CANDLE, Inc. can help you partner with other community organizations to help raise money for the license.
Reality Tour is appropriate for children age 10 to 17. A parent or guardian must attend with their child.
YES, parent(s) or guardians must attend with THEIR child. We say this experience is as important as your child’s wedding or graduation! The dialogue that continues beyond Reality Tour is a key factor in prevention.
No, parents cannot bring their friend’s children. Children must attend with their parent or legal guardian.
You can register for Reality Tour by going to our locations page. Reality Tour is replicated in several states. Find the Tour nearest you, download and mail registration form with payment to the address listed, or register online if available. The cost to license the program model is an affordable $3,500 with an annual renewal fee of $500.