parents corner : underage drinking
Parent ’ s Corner : Underage Drinking Parent ’ s Corner : Underage Drinking
“ Mom , is this the underage drinking talk again ?” and Lucinda rolled her eyes and exhaled dramatically to emphasize to her mother how stupid she thought all of this was .
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Despite how it may seem , children absolutely do listen to their parents when they talk about underage drinking . And not only do they listen , but teens actually identify you , their parents , as the number one influence on whether they drink alcohol or not .
Talk to them - it does make a difference . Start at an early age , and keep it up all the way through their teen years .
Key points to mention and cover in your discussions :
• Start the conversation at an early age and continue talking as they grow up .
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• Establish your values . Be clear and let them know that drinking under the age of 21 is illegal and you won ’ t accept it .
• Make sure they understand the negative consequences of drinking underage , including the ways it affects their growing bodies .
• It can also lead to :
• Killing or injuring themselves
• Killing or injuring someone else
• Crashing a car
• Riding with someone who has been drinking
• Having unintentional sex
• Getting arrested
• Having an unplanned pregnancy
• Getting lower grades in school
• Getting in trouble at home
• Getting in a fight
• Help them to come up with ways to tell their peers “ NO .” The more you help them , the more confident they ’ ll be .
• They know it ’ s important to live a healthy lifestyle . Explain to them that underage drinking is not part of that lifestyle .
• Teach your daughters about the ways that alcohol affects girls differently
What Youth Say About Alcohol
Why Youth Say They Drink :
When asked why today ’ s youth drink alcohol , 51 % report neither they nor their friends drink . Among reasons cited by youth for why teens drink , 41 % say to have a good time followed by celebrate ( 30 %). Nearly three in ten teens ( 28 %) say they drink to get drunk , and two in ten teens say to feel good ( 24 %) or de-stress / relax ( 21 %).
Where Youth Drink Alcohol
A lack of parental supervision appears to be the key ingredient in where today ’ s youth drink alcohol . When asked where underage drinking takes place , seven in ten teens cited parties with no parents home , followed by 61 % of teens saying drinking occurs at their friends homes when the parents are not home . Other locations include parties in remote locations ( 48 %), parties when parents are home ( 43 %), and at events ( 34 %).
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports a majority of current underage drinkers ages 12 to 20 who consumed alcohol in the past month said the last time they drank alcohol it was either in someone ’ s else house ( 55 %) or their own home ( 23 %). Additionally , 82 % of these underage drinkers said they were with two or more people the last time they drank .
20 | Illinois Spring / Summer 2013 | abusemagazine . org Source : The Century Council / Distillers Fighting Drunk Driving & Underage Drinking