Please meet Rand Teed founder of the Drug Class website and DVD Series for home and classroom use.
1. Please introduce yourself to the readers.
Hi! My Name is Rand Teed, I live in Craven, Saskatchewan. I’m married, two daughters 3 grandchildren. I have a B.A., B.Ed and am an Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist (ICPS) I have been working for many years helping people, primarily teens, understand the affect drug and alcohol use and abuse has on their lives. Personally I have been clean and sober since 1972.
2.Tell us about your website Drug Class and why you started it.
Drug Class is a web site to provide teens, parents, teachers, and anyone interested with information about drug and alcohol abuse. It was developed as an add on to our TV series Drug Class. This series can be seen in the USA on the Halogen Network, in Canada on IChannel and on SCN, it is also shown in Finland and in Hungary in Europe.
3. You’ve made a series of videos, please tell us about them.
The Drug Class videos are the DVD’s from our TV Series, we have done 39 episodes, three seasons of Drug Class. The series is a real look at substance use with real teens and parents talking about real issues, these discussions are incorporated into classroom sessions in which we help people better understand the nature of and problems associated with substance use and abuse.
4. What inspired you to start your website and video series?
I was running a similar program in several high schools and the demand for our program was too great to be able to accommodate with our staff so we decided to produce a TV series and website to further sread our message.
5. At this stage, what are the top 3 things you’ve learned about addiction and/or codependency that have helped you in your own recovery?
1. Both addiction and codependency are easy to “get” (be affected by) and most people have a hard time seeing that they are in trouble.
2. Things can get better.
3. Learning that changing how I think can change my life. If we can be patient, tolerant, kind and loving we change our selves and we can do a lot more to help others.
6. What advice do you have for parents of drug addicts/alcoholics who are just coming to terms with the diagnosis or suspicion of their son or daughter’s substance abuse?
1. Parents: Don’t yell, kids with drug and alcohol don’t have hearing problems.
• Get educated.
• Get a professional involved.
• Get a support group, this is not something to be embarrassed about.
2. Individuals: Continuing to use drugs and alcohol will make things worse. Substance abuse is a primary problem, that means you can’t really fix anything else till you fix it.
7. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
What’s free time?? 
Actually spending time with my wife, hanging out with family, I live on an acreage and have horses so riding and talking to them is pretty cool too. I read, like photography, movies….. life is good.
Rand has been working with teens for over 35 years and for the past 15 years has been helping them understand how substance use can get in the way of having the life they want. He can be contacted through his website, Drug Class, on Facebook, or @RandTeed on twitter.
How can we use Drug Class videos to spread awareness and prevention of drug and alcohol addiction to our US teens?
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Very inspiring to see what people are doing to help educate teens about substance abuse. Thanks for the info, Cathy.
Marianne recently posted..What’s Miracle Mama Up To?
Hi Marianne,
Thanks for stopping by. There are many resources out there that are trying to help make parents more aware of the dangers of substance abuse which can lead to addiction.
This is wonderful. Sometimes kids are not addicts but still are using and need to get educated along with their parents. Thanks for sharing and I’ll head over and visit Rand Teed’s website.
Hi Betsy,
If parents can prevent substance abuse with their children before it moves on to addiction, it could change their child’s life. Thanks for your comment.
This is wonderful! I will definitely do what I can to spread the word. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Cathy!
Lisa Frederiksen – BreakingTheCycles.com recently posted..Talking To Teens About Sex; Talking To Teens About Alcohol & Drugs
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much. These videos are another important resource that can help our kids! Appreciate your comment and your help.
Cathy,
This is a great resource and what an awesome website to have. I’m sure it’s well used and appreciated.
Thanks!
Tess The Bold Lifet recently posted..My Interview with Tammy Strobel of Rowdy Kittens
Hi Tess,
Rand has done great work to help prevent substance abuse. My hope is that his videos can be shown to our kids to help with prevention. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Cathy,
A fine & much needed resource for those in need. Good job in spreading the word. Best of luck.
be good to yourself
David
Hi David,
Rand is a wonderful resource, and my hope is that word about his great work will spread. Thanks for your comment.
Cathy, I love what Rand says about realizing that his thinking can change his life. I’ve been thinking a lot about choices and thoughts are perhaps some of the toughest choices I make. Yet, no one else can “think” me into better conditions or out of bad circumstances. Until I took responsibility for healing my addiction–beginning with the thought that I was worthy of healing–there was very hope for my longterm recovery. Thanks for sharing a great interview!
Beth Wilson recently posted..Balancing Grief With Love
Hi Beth,
We all need to take responsibility for our life and for those with addiction issues. I agree, that until that happens longterm recovery is not possible. Rand had a wonderful resource with his site and videos, so I hope more will take advantage of what he has to offer. Thanks for you comment.
VANCOUVER / ADDICTION / HOMELESS / CHAOS / POVERTY
THE HARSH REALITY OF ADDICTION
The producers of this short film are both recovering addicts who have both spent time living and indulging with drug addiction in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Today they are both clean and sober with multiple years of recovery
Addiction: Chaos in Vancouver
http://www.archive.org/details/VancouverAddictionHomelessChaosPoverty