How SafeLaunch is Helping Families Stay Healthy

Parent-focused organizations like SafeLaunch provide the leadership to help reduce the tragic and unnecessary loss of so many young lives every day. ~Tom Hedrick, Partnership for Drug-Free Kids

Last September, I had the pleasure of having coffee in Santa Barbara with Janet Rowse, co-founder of SafeLaunch, a non-profit teaching kids about the dangers of addiction in a creative way.

The SafeLaunch mission is to protect youth from drugs and alcohol because the adolescent (undeveloped) brain is up to 600% more susceptible to addiction than one that is fully developed.

With next week being Red Ribbon Week, it is the perfect time for an early reminder about how critical it is for community members to step up and help spread awareness about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

That is why I’m so pleased to share this interview with SafeLaunch co-founders, Janet and Rowse, and Ron Cuff!

SafeLaunch is such a unique organization. What do you hope to accomplish?

We hope to be catalysts to improve all children’s chances to have a healthy future. Just as smoking and drunk driving have become socially unacceptable, we hope to inspire a change in how people view teen substance use and experimentation.

We want everyone to know the simple science behind addiction: Studies from Harvard Medical School, the National Institutes of Health, and others have proven that adolescents are up to 6 times more likely to develop a chemical dependency when exposed to drugs and alcohol than are adults.

2) Please explain your amazing idea of using planes as a canvas for student illustrations, which empower and share the dangers of drug or alcohol misuse?

My background is in parenting and art, and my Ron’s background is in aviation. When we realized that his all-white airplane was really just a funny-shaped canvas, we saw the plane’s opportunity as a teaching tool.

We connect with thousands of families at airshows and aviation events across California. Because the aviation community is focused on safety and encouraging the next generation into aviation careers, Flights Above Addiction has become a favorite at these events.

In just 3 years of the program, we’ve educated over 1000 families about addiction risk and had a ton of fun helping youth illustrate their dreams on the plane. We tell the young artists that a great life is like a great flight: you need to plan your destination and keep a clear head to arrive safely.

As we strongly suspected, kids love the idea of painting on an airplane. We believe that the unique experience gives them a wider perspective about the many great possibilities that life holds. People can watch some fun videos about the program here. 

Your Wind Beneath our Wings, a flying memorial, is so touching. How can parents participate and share information about their loved ones?

Wind Beneath Our Wings is an opportunity for parents to give new meaning to a child’s life cut short by drug or alcohol use. When parents send us their child’s picture and story via the link on our website, we permanently affix their names and ages to the underside of the plane’s wings and put their stories in a special album that we share with young families at the air shows. The names and ages are a cautionary tale told silently.

Every parent who is grieving a child’s death by drugs or alcohol can participate until the wings are full. We stay in touch with our “Wing Families” via the Wind Beneath Our Wings Facebook page to know their child’s impact. The instructions for participating are on our website, where you can learn more about SafeLaunch.

Please tell us about the SafeLaunch Pledge.  

The SafeLaunch Parent Pledge is a common-sense approach to intentional and focused parenting for the 21st century. Because we are in the midst of a technological revolution, parents need support, especially from those of us who work in education.

The pledge encourages parents to increase the focused time they spend with their children, maintain clear boundaries regarding friends, phones, and curfews, require adult supervision for their minor children, be moderate in their use of alcohol if they drink, lock up medications and alcohol in the home, support drug-free schools and activities, and most importantly… know that 90% of all addiction begins with adolescent drug and/or alcohol exposure.

Parenting never was easy, and it seems harder than ever today. The more parents who sign the pledge, the better equipped and empowered they are to protect their children from substance abuse and addiction.  Parents can sign the pledge here.

What suggestions does your organization have for parents to help prevent their child from abusing drugs or alcohol?

Every parent needs to know that their child WILL be offered drugs and alcohol at school or at home. They cannot ignore or deny this sick fact. Many parents are shocked to learn that age 12 is the average age of first use in the U.S. That means that parents need to have prevention strategies in place before their child starts 6th grade!

Deterring first drug or alcohol exposure is the best thing parents can do to ensure that their child’s future doesn’t get sidetracked or stolen by addiction. But, if they do use drugs, being able to intervene as quickly as possible and get their child help before drug dependency sets in is the next best course of action.

Because of this, we encourage parents to ask their school administrators to provide a comprehensive drug prevention program that includes a random, non-punitive, confidential drug screening. These programs are extremely cost-effective and save lives.

Our country is in the middle of the worst overdose epidemic we’ve ever seen. With 130 people dying every day from drugs and alcohol, protecting our youth requires community-wide efforts to protect every child.

When it comes to the disease of addiction, parents don’t need to be afraid. They need tools and support. And, they need to know that protecting their children from drug and alcohol use is doable!!

One day, we hope to hear parents ask, “I SafeLaunch my kids, do you?”

Janet’s Bio

Janet Rowse is a longtime resident of Santa Barbara. She and her husband have two adult children and have owned the Paradise Cafe since 1983.  She served on the board of directors for the Santa Barbara High School Education Foundation. She was a consistent voice on elementary and secondary parent advisory committees in the Santa Barbara Unified School District for 14 years. Janet was an advisor to the Santa Barbara County Service Learning Initiative and is a National Charity League sustaining member. With a UCSB degree in Art, she uses creativity and determination to raise awareness about children’s addiction risk.

Ron’s Bio

Ron Cuff is a father and a retired Navy officer living in Paso Robles, California. He served as a primary U.S. Navy flight instructor, earning the designation of Aircraft Commander on four different types of Navy aircraft, logged 120 arrested landings on seven U.S. aircraft carriers, and was a Test Pilot for the Pacific Missile Test Center. As a Naval Reservist, he served as the Commanding Officer of his Naval Air Reserve unit. He simultaneously served as Deputy Director for the Navy and Marine Corps nationwide Campaign Drug-Free. Ron holds a master’s degree in Business Administration. He is the past president of the San Luis Obispo Child Abuse Prevention Council.