A free community forum on substance abuse and its impacts on children and families was held Thursday evening on the campus of Tusculum College.

The forum was attended by about 75 people.

It was was intended for parents, teachers, social workers and others in the community wanting to learn more about alcohol and drug use and its adverse affect on youths and families.

Featured presenters were: Dr. Don Mitchell, who discussed the role that parents play in substance abuse prevention in their children, and Scott Hollenbeck, who spoke about how to effectively discuss drugs and alcohol risks with children.

Both Mitchell and Hollenbeck are family alcohol and drug counselors.

Mitchell is director of DUI Programs of East Tennessee, an alcohol and drug intervention program serving 15 counties in the Knoxville area.

Hollenbeck is the coordinator of children and adolescent clinical services for Frontier Health.

Judge Bailey said his idea for a community substance abuse education program has grown out of his "frustration of seeing people in court for using drugs."

Many of these individuals, he said, have "thrown away 20 years or more of their lives" due to alcohol and drug use.

"And I've decided I've got to do something about it to educate people," he said.

One of the most pressing issues facing the local community today is the access that many individuals have to prescription pain medication available from pain clinics in Florida, Bailey said.

"Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the past six months, I've had people tell me how they are taking pain pills from Florida," he said.

Bailey encouraged family members of persons who abuse drugs and alcohol to attend the support group, Al-Anon.

Meetings, he said, are held each Tuesday evening in Greeneville, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at Cumberland Presbyterian Church, located at 201 N. Main St.

The topic of Hollenbeck's talk was "Teachable Moments."

As a counselor, Hollenbeck said he has seen many young people in their teens who have already been using drugs and alcohol for five or six years or longer.

What is most alarming, he said, is that many of those kids experienced their first "high" from drugs with a parent who is also a substance user.

There has been "an erosion of traditional family values," Hollenbeck said.

Youngsters today, he continued, have "more access now to life threatening substances and activities."

What's more, those dangers are often "glamorized" on television and movies, he said.

Hollenbeck said concerned parents should make a point to speak candidly to their children about drugs and alcohol.

He said talks about alcohol and drugs should be based on facts -- not fear.

What does alcohol and drugs do to you? How do they affect the brain development of children and teens? Why are they illegal? What are the consequences of drug use? These are questions that should be answered and explained to kids beginning at a very early age, he said.

In addition, Hollenbeck said parents should set rules for their children, making their expectations clear.

More importantly, he said, parents should behave the way that they want their children to behave. If a parent is doing drugs and drinking alcohol, how can they expect their child not to do the same?

Hollenbeck also talked about tobacco use and how it often leads to other substance use. "Tobacco is really the primary gateway drug," he said.

At least 98 percent of kids who have done drugs have also smoked, he said.

Hollenbeck encouraged parents to talk with their children and stay involved with them -- even though teens may sometimes feel it is an intrusion.

"Parents don't realize how powerful an influence they are," he said.

"Don't leave anti-drug education up to teachers and schools," he said.

"Kids who learn about the risks of alcohol and drugs from their parents are 50 percent less likely to use them," he said.

Also, "kids who are not regularly monitored by their parents are four times more likely to use drugs," he added.

Hollenbeck encouraged parents to show interest in their kids and to discuss what is going on in their lives.

Help promote their self esteem and leadership skills, he said. Empower them to stand up for what they know is right and wrong.

Above all, he said, parents should make a point to tell their kids what they are doing right. 'Don't always be a complainer. Compliment your teen. They will appreciate that more than you realize," he said.

During his talk, Dr. Mitchell echoed much of the advice given by Hollenbeck.

He emphasized that parents have the primary role of influencing their children's decisions.

Unfortunately, children do not come with instruction manuals. Parenting is "on-the-job training," Mitchell said.

He said his best advice for parents is for them to set clear, consistent rules for their children -- and to stick to them.

"Children will grow up, if we give them an opportunity," he said.

Very often, this means that parents must sometimes provide tough love. This means not always bailing their children out of fixes and making excuses for their children.

Mitchell said children must learn to accept the consequences of their actions. "Children need to learn responsibility and self discipline," he said.

"We need to help children form an attitude of gratitude," he added.

For youths who become involved in substance abuse, he said, parents need to know that co-dependency only prolongs this abuse.

To teach a child to become a responsible adult, a parent must exercise self-discipline. "Success in all areas of our life requires self-discipline," he said.