‘Tis the season to celebrate! The holidays are a wonderful time of year to gather with family and friends to have fun and spread good cheer. Holiday parties, though, can be a tempting time for teens to think about drinking alcohol with their friends. In 2015, 61% of high school aged students in the Roanoke Valley reported they have drank alcohol and 36% reported they’d had at least 1 drink of alcohol in the past 30 days. Also 76% of high school aged students reported it would be very easy or fairly easy to get alcohol.
One way you can protect your teen from the dangers of underage drinking is to not provide them with alcohol. Providing alcohol to minors is against the law and sends the dangerous message that it is okay to break the law. Alcohol damages the brains of youth and places them at risk for injury, unprotected sex, drug use, violence, sexual assault and other risky behaviors.
It is extremely important for parents to set a positive example and not provide alcohol to underage youth. Even if you don’t provide alcohol for your teen, they may still be vulnerable to peer pressure to drink at their friends’ parties.
Following are some of www.Responsibility.org’s tips for having the ‘Holiday Alcohol Talk’ with your teens:
*Learn about how alcohol affects youths’ health and behavior. Once you know the facts, you can explain them in a way your teen understands.
*Reduce the chance of peer pressure. Teach your teen that he or she should celebrate with friends who have similar interests and values. Your child will face less peer pressure to drink alcohol if their friends aren’t interested in doing it.
*Talk about alcohol with your child early and often. Bring up the subject when they start school or when an alcohol-related event appears on television, in the news or on the radio. Teens who receive a message from their parents that underage drinking is completely unacceptable are more than 80% less likely to drink than teens who receive other messages. If you feel uncomfortable talking about underage drinking by yourself, invite a trusted adult – older siblings, a family friend, teacher or coach – to join the conversation.
*Listen and pay attention. Instead of lecturing, ask their opinions and suggestions. Pay attention to who your teen’s friends are, where they hang out and any changes in behavior.
*Have a safe word. Doing this will give your teen the chance to call or text you if they are uncomfortable at a party without feeling embarrassed.
(Have a safe and happy holiday and remember: Parents, set a positive example for your teens. Talk to them – they will listen!)
