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Whether it’s something like “Spice” you can get over the counter, pills swiped from the bathroom cabinet, today’s marijuana or another substance – let’s face it – the Drugs These Days are different than when adults were growing up. Ever heard of “bath salts”? They’re not what you think… So on today's program we’ll learn what’s out there today, talk about how parents and caregivers can keep an eye out for drug use and find out what efforts are being made statewide to address contemporary problems.

IN-STUDIO GUESTS:  Joining KTD Host Shana Sheehy in the studio are three guests. 

• Rick Pawlak is an Alaska State Trooper in the narcotics division – he knows what’s out there and how it gets into the hands of youth.

• Tech Sergeant Jennifer Theulen is a prevention educator from the Alaska National Guard’s Drug Demand Reduction (DDR)program; she tells us what works and what doesn’t when it comes to stopping kids before they start.

• Tad Sumner is the clinical director of Volunteers of America's ARCH residential program for addicted teens; he walks us through recovery.

Duncan, the narcotics K-9,
goes into classrooms with AK State Trooper Rick Pawlak

Did you know? Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet. Prevent this by locking your meds while in use, and then properly disposing of unneeded or expired prescription drugs.

FEATURED STORIES:

- Is marijuana use "normal"? - The idea that marijuana is not as bad as other "harder" drugs has been circulating for years, and with modern marijuana more potent than in previous generations, this idea is even more harmful today - but this message is not getting out. The Anchorage Youth Development Coalition, a group of over 60 youth-serving organizations, is in the planning stages of a new campaign that will address these social norms surrounding pot use by youth and teens. Youth Development Specialist Thomas Azzarella spoke with KTD Producer Sarah Gonzales about how this campaign is coming together. [Full story]

- How teenagers really feel about using drugs - Teenage reporter Aviva Hirsch returns with another excellent and candid collection of high school voices. This time they tell us what their parents have told them about using drugs, if they've ever used, if they ever would and which drugs are circulating in their world. [Full story]

- The strength is on the flipside! - So, 19% of Anchorage teens have used pot in the last 30 days according to the most recent results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey administered in 2009. Well, a couple local teens flipped all those numbers, and presented the "Strength-Based" version which you can read here. That's right, 81% of Anchorage teens haven't used pot recently. KTD Contributor Jessica Cochran brings us the story. [Full story + graphic]

On this extra outdoorsy episode of Kids These Days! we're celebrating Alaska's amazing bounty by speaking with those in the know about fishing, gathering and hunting in Alaska. Does your family do any of these activities together? If so, you know that they're about more than harvesting food -- picking berries, taking a moose or landing a halibut also mean quality family time spent together! 

KTD Host Shana Sheehy speaks with award-winning author Seth Kantner. He wrote Shopping for Porcupine and Ordinary Wolves which won a Milkweed National Fiction Prize. In addition to writing, Kantner is a commercial fisherman and wildlife photographer. He spoke to us about living a gathering life in a modern world from Kotzebue where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Unlike in other states, hunting in Alaska is on the rise - maybe that’s because hunting is a family tradition for many in the 49th State. For one Wasilla family, the Adamses, the tradition of hunting - and gun safety - has been passed down through the generations. KTD Producer Sarah Gonzales spoke with this family and also with Jerry Soukup, the coordinator of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game's Hunter Information & Training (HIT) Program. [Full story]

Also speaking to us from Fish & Game, Tony Kavalok the Assistant Director for the Division of Wildlife Conservation, and the former Palmer Area Wildlife Biologist for the division, speaks with us in-studio about the many programs ADFG offers for young people to help get them out fishing, hunting, participating in shooting sports and into conservation camps.

Christina Salmon was born and raised in Igiugig, Alaska (pop. 64) to Dan and Julia Salmon, she is the eldest of 5 children and has lived back at home since 2007 where she now works as the village's Environmental Director. She has 3 children: Aiden, Keilan and Dannika, 6, 4, and 2. She says, "I wanted to raise my children in rural Alaska so they could experience life as I did when a child, living off the land, subsistence hunting, fishing and berry picking. Enjoying the simple things in life."

And last but certainly not least this hour we have a new installment of KTDontheGO with Erin Kirkland. This time she's exploring the special connections and memories that happen when fathers and daughters go fishing together.

As part of a family, caring for ill or aging parents, siblings, children, spouses or grandparents is often a reality for people of all ages and it’s not an easy job. There is much emotion wrapped up in seeing to the everyday needs of someone you love. This time on KTD we're looking at caregiver stress from three different angles: caring for the chronically ill, caring for aging parents and caring for a mentally ill family member.

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: Joining KTD Producer Sarah Gonzales in the studio to discuss caregiver stress are three guests.

• Gary Barg is the founder of Today's Caregiver magazine.

• Francine Harbour is the director of the Anchorage chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness.

• Sandra Kerns is the program developer and manager for Oncology Support Services at Providence Alaska Medical Center where she also oversees the Susan Butcher Family Center, The Healing Arts Program, and Clinical Support Groups

DID YOU KNOW? 40% to 70% of family caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression with approximately a quarter to half of these caregivers meeting the diagnostic criteria for major depression. [Source: National Family Caregivers Assoc.]

FEATURED STORIES:

- Kids & Stress - Parents may be unaware of how the way in which they handle stress (or don’t) is being observed and absorbed by their kids. KTD Contributor Jessica Cochran reports on some interesting findings from Stanford. [Full story]

- The Sandwich Generation - Millions of Americans are caring for aging parents, as well as raising children at the same time; this group of people who are caring for family members on both ends of the age spectrum are called The Sandwich Generation. KTD Producer Sarah Gonzales spoke with journalist, columnist and speaker Carol Abaya whose Sandwich Generation Survival Course has been supporting this demographic for many years. [Full story]

Just because it's summer vacation doesn't mean kids should close up the books for the next three months! Especially when there are so many fun reading-related programs happening.

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: Joining KTD Host Shana Sheehy in the studio are two youth services librarians from the Anchorage Public Library system. 

• Jane Henriksen Baird and Susan Sommers tell us about how to keep your families and kids of all ages reading all summer long. They fill us in on the Anchorage Public Library's many summer programs.

FEATURED STORIES:

- Summer reading loss - It turns out too much lazing around during the warm summer months can add up to some big losses in learning - or to be specific: as much as two months of lost literacy skills that were gained during the school year. KTD Contributor Jessica Cochran reports on the causes and the numbers behind the “summer slide.” [Full story]

- When I Was Young: My favorite childhood book - From Nancy Drew to Grimm's Fairy Tales, adults tell KTD Producer about their favorite childhood reads. [Full story]

- Summer food programs - Susannah Morgan, executive director of Food Bank of Alaska is back to tell us about the lunch programs they'll be offering to low-income kids this summer when school is out. [Full story]

We've all heard the adage, "If momma's not happy, nobody's happy," and chances are it's proved true in your household at one time or another. So, in celebration of Mother's Day this coming Sunday, we wanted to know how to help mom be happy and how to keep mom happy (year round!).

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: Joining KTD Host Shana Sheehy in the studio are two guests.

• Peggy O'Mara is the Editor/Publisher of Mothering Magazine, she takes a look at how motherhood and happiness are linked and how mom's mood affects the family. 

• Sharon Fleck is a local therapist, she talks postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders affecting mothers' happiness.

FEATURED STORIES:

- Single Moms by Choice - A recent Pew Research Center poll about alternative family structures in the US found that 7 out of 10 Americans thought that women raising children solo was "harmful to society". KTD Producer Sarah Gonzales speaks with Jane Mattes, author and founder of Single Mothers By Choice, who responds to these results and explains why having the choice is so important to women who have the mothering desire, but not the partner. [Full story]

- Chef KTD: Mother's Day Breakfast - Dads, this one's for you: Our own Chef KTD, Liz Madsen, returns with a recipe for the perfect Mom's day breakfast in bed. She and her son, Aiden, show contributor Jessica Cochran and her two kids how to prepare strawberry cream cheese stuffed french toast. Yum! [Story + recipe + pix]

- What Makes Mom Happy - Fourth graders at Chester Valley Elementary say they think makes their moms happy. And then hear it from the number one expert source: moms share what makes them them happiest.

Teenagers in Alaska are more at risk of dying by suicide than kids in any other state. Understanding this statistic and the efforts to fight the problem is the subject on today's show.

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: Joining KTD Host Shana Sheehy are three guests.

• Barbara Franks works with the Suicide Prevention Programs for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Division of Behavioral Health & Rural Services, she also serves as Vice President of the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council.

• James Gallanos is the lead suicide prevention coordinator for the Department of Health and Social Services - Prevention and Early Intervention Services, he also manages the Alaska Youth Suicide Prevention Project.

• Kimberlee Jones is the director of Careline Crisis Intervention, Alaska’s statewide suicide prevention and crisis hotline where you can also text and chat online confidentially.

Visit StopSuicideAlaska.org to learn more about statewide prevention efforts.

THREE GOOD PHONE NUMBERS TO KNOW!

• The Careline 1-800-273-8255 is the state's suicide hotline.
• April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call 1-800-478-4444 in Alaska.
• Call 1-800-643-KIDS - it's the Alaska Parent Line and you can ask for advice or learn about resources that are available to help you and your family.

FEATURED STORIES:

- Teen-produced PSAs - Three Alaska teens told KTD Producer Sarah Gonzales what kids know about preventing suicide with their winning entries in the statewide Suicide Prevention PSA contest sponsored by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the Alaska Association of Student Governments.

• Watch Jaden from Barrow's PSA: What if we could go back to that moment where a friend could change everything?
• Watch Sophie from Klawock's PSA: Fred the rhododendron
• Watch Michael from Bethel's PSA: Look for the signs

- Fighting for healthy families - The Family Wellness Warriors Initiative has an ambitious goal: end domestic violence, child sexual abuse and child neglect in Alaska in THIS generation. It’s a program of Southcentral Foundation, the native non-profit health care organization for the Cook Inlet region. As KTD Contributor Jessica Cochran tells us, it’s all based on sharing stories. [Full story]

- April is Child Abuse Awareness Month - Since the Alaska Children's Trust began in 1988 it has distributed more than $3.5 million toward preventing child abuse and neglect in Alaska. KTD Producer, Sarah Gonzales, spoke with Panu Lucier, the executive director of the Alaska's Children's Trust, to learn about how they are working towards the vision of being the safest state for children by the year 2030. [Full story]

It's getting warmer and school will be out soon which means many families in Alaska are preparing for their summer trips. We've got insider tips, suggestions and great itineraries for your family's next getaway.

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: KTD Host Shana Sheehy speaks with two local travel gurus in the studio. ,

• Erin Kirkland is our resident family travel blogger and owner of the AKontheGo website. Her specialty is exploring the top family destinations in Alaska.

• Scott McMurren writes the AlaskaTravelGram blog.

Erin's Top 5 Summer Trips Inside Alaska:

5. SUMMIT LAKE AREA: If you've never stopped on the drive south to Homer or Seward you're missing great spots like the Quartz Creek Campground and the Summit Lake Lodge, plus whitewater rafting fun with Wildland Adventures.
4. TALKEETNA: Whether you arrive by car, plane or train this little town is lots of fun for families with a walkable downtown that includes a great playground. Check out Mahay's Riverboat Service to take a Jetboat Safari!
3. FAIRBANKS: The interior has a lot going on outdoors in the summer! Like the Sandhill Crane Festival in August; Tanana Valley State Fair in August; UAF Museum of the North; the Riverboat Discovery; and the El Dorado Gold Mine.
2. HOMER: This little Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea has a lot to offer families who want to move at their own pace while enjoying the outdoors, art and good food. Check out: Seaside Cottages, Two Sisters Bakery, Bishops Beach, Islands and Ocean Visitors Center, Fat Olives, Seldovia and Halibut Cove ferries.

1. VALDEZ: This tiny town has been through a lot over the past six decades, but while it's been shaken it hasn't been stirred because it remains one of the most beautiful and family-friendly places to visit which is why it tops Erin's list. She suggests taking the Alaska Ferry from Whittier to Valdez (a 3-hour trip on the Chenega) and when you arrive there's kayaking, fishing and hiking trails to explore.

Scott's Top 5 Summer Trips Outside Alaska:

5. RELATIVES + ANY BEACH, USA: If you're flying the whole family out of Alaska might as well double up on the excursions and get more bang for the buck - visit grandparents who live down south, says Scott, followed by a relaxing, toes-in-the-sand trip to the nearest beach afterward.
6. WASHINGTON D.C.: The perfect setting for a big city romp plus a big dose of our nation's history. Visit the National Zoo; rent a bicycle and ride to the 18 (!) Smithsonian Museums and to as many memorials as you care to visit.
3. HAWAII: What Alaskan doesn't have a particular fondness for this tropical state a short hop south across the Pacific? Sure why not, you can visit in the summer when the waves are tamer, the water a bit warmer and air and hotel deals abound. Check out Family Fun in Hawaii.
2. SAN FRANCISCO / LAKE TAHOE: Another twofer trip Scott suggests is bundling together the cool city sights and sounds of the endlessly walkable San Francisco (or hop on the trolley) with the vast and ridiculously blue Lake Tahoe, a 3.5 hour drive up into the mountains. In SF visit the MOMA, Alcatraz, hike the Marin headlands, and kids love the Exploratorium. In June participate in the GeoCaching Treasure Hunt in the South Lake Tahoe area, or in the North lake area rent bikes or kayaks.
[Via LakePowell.com]
1. LAKE POWELL: And Scott's number one out of state take the whole family summer trip happens on a houseboat! The most fun he's ever had, he says, and these houseboat rentals are available on a number of lakes - check out Houseboating.org to get started.

FEATURED STORIES:

- Dispatch from the Oregon Trail - KTD Contributor Jessica Cochran calls in from Oregon where she's traveling throughout the state with her family to report on vacation rentals in Portland, traveling with in-laws, and kid-friendly spots in the city, at the beach and points in between.

- Teens First Solo Trip - Remember the first time you traveled without your parents? It was a big deal, right? KTD Producer Sarah Gonzales asked a few of Devon Robert's Service High School students about their first time and finds out that freedom is still a very popular state of mind.

- National Parks & Ferry Trips - We hear from Kathy Kupper at the National Park Service HQ in DC and Danielle Adkins at the Alaska Marine Highway System - each shares why theirs is a family-friendly travel option and they suggest some truly awesome itineraries that will have you itching to get outside!

Volunteering can empower children and the whole family, and this week on Kids These Days! we're celebrating lending a hand, giving back and making a difference! On today's show we’ll learn about Kids Day and the group that puts it on, Anchorage’s Promise, and we’ll hear about ways that young people volunteer and engage in our world to help make it a better place.

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: In the studio with host Shana Sheehy are

• Debbie Bogart, the Executive Director of Anchorage’s Promise, a collaborative organization that helps local partners deliver services for young people.

• Heather Jack, the founder of The Volunteer Family, a nonprofit organization that helps families find volunteer opportunities, and of Future Philanthropists, which teaches youth about nonprofits and entrusts them to give away real money to those organizations.

• Nyla Riley, a local teen who serves on the Anchorage's Promise Youth Advisory Board and is busy organizing the Teen City Center Stage area at Kids Day.

DID YOU KNOW? It's National Volunteer Week! Check out our list of 6 Volunteering Websites to Inspire the Whole Family.

FEATURED STORIES:

-Global Youth Service Day & Cool Alaskan Kids - KTD Contributor Jessica Cochran introduces us to Sam Allred, a local boy who founded his own charity called Kindness for Kids - he makes pillows to comfort children suffering from chronic illness. [Full story + pic]

- Power of One: Deacon Wassillie Gust - (or "Uppa" (Grandfather) Wally) is in his second year as a RuralCAP BIRCH Americorps volunteer in New Stuyahok where he gives 40-hours of his time each week to help improve his community by energizing the local youth to take positive action. [Full story + pix]

- Service Learning Requirement at Chugach School District - The Chugach School District which includes the areas of Whittier, Tatitlek and Chenaga Bay as well as a large extension school service throughout Alaska makes service-learning a graduation requirement for its students. [Full story + gallery]

- Teens Talk Giving Back - Teen reporter Aviva Hirsch brings another of her excellent and thoughtful dispatches from the halls of West Anchorage High School. This time teens talk about where they volunteer and why they do it.

If you follow the latest parenting or science news you've heard about the incredible ways that children ages 0-5 are capable of learning. During this crucial time it's parents and caregivers who can do so much to teach their little ones. Today we're exploring the amazing world of infant and toddler learning and the ways in which we can all help them explore, discover and learn about the world around them.

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: Joining KTD Host Shana Sheehy in the studio are two guests.

• Mike Hanley is the Commissioner of the Dept of Early Education and Development.

• Shirley Pittz is the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Coordinator at the Alaska Office of Children's Services.

DID YOU KNOW? You can foster of love of reading in your little ones by signing them up for the Alaska Imagination Library. They'll receive one book a month from birth to age 5 (that's 60 free books!).

FEATURED STORIES:

- Helping Kids Start Strong - Best Beginnings is a statewide movement that aims to spread the word that parents can teach their little ones ages 0-5 at home - just by reading, singing and talking to them. Executive Director, Abbe Hensley, spoke with KTD Producer, Sarah Gonzales, about the work they’re doing in over seventy communities throughout Alaska to help very young children learn. Check out their website for family early learning activity guides.

- Alaska's Standards for Arts Education - Along with reading, writing, math and science, Alaska has state standards for the Arts. Studies show that in art-rich settings school attendance rates are higher and kids report more positive feelings about school. KTD Contributor Jessica Cochran speaks with artists in the schools and reports on some of the programs designed to increase access to the arts in Alaska schools.

-When I Was Young: Remembering Kindergarten - Even if you don't remember the name of your kindergarten teacher, chances are you have at least one strong memory of when you started school. Kristin Spack asked a few adults what they recall of their early school days for this installment of “When I Was Young”. [Full story]