Tobacco Documents Online

National Association of State Boards of Education 701 N. Fairfax St., Suite 340 Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 684-4000 September 21, 1984 Parents of young teenagers in Iowa, where I live, are no different from those in Maine, New Mexico or Hawaii. They all have expressed the need for concrete advice and assistance in two critical areas of childraising. One is establishing and maintaining open communication with their adolescents. The other is using this closeness to guide their youngsters in developing sound decision- making skills. Learning to make good decisions comes most easily when practiced at the side of someone more experienced. With the help of caring, patient parents, youngsters are more likely to make responsible choices about such activities as choosing a field of study, taking or quitting an after-school job, driving a car, and whether to smoke, drink or follow the crowd in some other behavior. We at the National Association of State Boards of Education hope that our new booklet, "Helping Youth Decide," will be of great value to parents of the nation. Since its founding in 1958, NASBE has been dedicated to providing leadership to assure quality public education in the U.S. states and territories. We applaud the social responsibility The Tobacco Institute has demonstrated in joining us in this public service program. It is the students in the nation's public schools that will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the joint program. On behalf of NASBE's members, I applaud as well the efforts of the staffs of our two organizations in researching and producing this - new booklet, as an example of how the education and business communities can and should work together in public service. Jolly Ann Davidson President Phyllis L. Blaunstein Executive Director TIMNN 0013802