Updated Events at CY Events link or facebook.com/connectingyouth

You can’t be everywhere with your teenager, and shadowing your child every hour of the day is not a realistic way to eliminate the risk that they will drink. In 2009, half of all high school seniors reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days.   

So how do you intervene when you can’t be there to stop them from drinking? Connecting Youth, CSSU’s substance abuse prevention coalition, has partnered with the Vermont Department of Health’s “Parent Up” campaign to help parents learn how and when to intervene. Studies show that parents have the most influence on whether or not their child will drink.

The ParentUpVT.org website and other materials illustrate simple, proven steps parents can take such as setting clear rules, limiting access to alcohol, and refusing to host underage drinking parties.

For more information on about the ParentUp campaign go to www.ParentUpVt.org or http://healthvermont.gov.

Know your facts about underage drinking!
Alcohol is very harmful to teenage brain development. Click here to check out the stats.

Parents play a huge role in their children's lives. What they tell their children, and more importantly what they SHOW their children, significantly influences the choices and decisions that kids make.
See Why: Tips for How to Better Communicate with your Teen

Events Trends

Do you know how to Talk to Your Kids?
Find out suggestions from Meet the Parents activities.

SEE WHY...It's not too late to better communicate with your teen about alcohol!" 

Tip #1:  Don't assume that alcohol use among teens is inevitable!  Two-thirds of all 8th - 12th graders in the Chittenden South schools reported NOT drinking alcohol in the past 30 days, according to the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. 

Tip #2--Know that parents DO influence their teens' choices around alcohol use, whether they realize it or not.  The National "Monitoring the Future" survey found that the key reasons kids give for not drinking is that they don't want to disappoint their parents.

Tip #3--Educate yourself about alcohol use and be a credible source of information for your teen.  Did you know that alcohol-related fatalities are the number one cause of death for teens in the United States?  Or that it is against the law in Vermont for adults to provide alcohol to minors under penalty of fines and/or imprisonment?  Also, research now shows that human brains don't fully develop until the mid-20's and teen drinking can interfere with memory and learning. 

Tip #4--Find "teachable moments" to talk with your teen about alcohol and other drugs.  Studies conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America showed that teens whose parents talked to them regularly about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs were 42% less likely to use than those whose parents don't talk to them regularly.

Tip #5--Keep the lines of communication clear.  Ask your teen open- ended questions to gather information about their social scene and any pressures they may face to try alcohol.  Encourage them to think about how they would handle party situations in advance so they are better prepared.

Tip #6--Create a family policy TOGETHER WITH YOUR TEEN on alcohol and other drug use.  Establish a clear no-use standard and outline specific consequences if the policy is violated.  (Hint--to learn more about how to do this, sign up for the CY "Staying Connected With Your Teen" parenting class offered through ACCESS!)

Tip#7--Be aware of societal messages that promote drinking and talk with your teen about the media's influence on our decisions.  This could be in the form of television commercials,  You Tube videos, song lyrics, poster ads and giveaways at local stores.  Teens are less likely to think of drinking as "cool" when they realize that it is profit driven!  

Tip #8--Encourage and support "natural highs"  There are thousands of  ways to have fun without alcohol--spend time with your teen hiking, biking, swimming, skiing, making music, playing cards, etc!

Read: Encouraging Dialogue between Parents and Teens

Parents Who Host, Lose The Most:
Don't be a party to teenage drinking

    Many well-meaning parents think that it is enough to take away car keys at their teen's parties so the teens can't drink and drive. Parents provide the alcohol or allow alcohol to be consumed based on the false belief that it's a rite of passage, especially at prom and graduation parties.
    The "Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don't be a party to teenage drinking" public awareness campaign was developed by Drug-Free Action Alliance in 2000 to educate parents about the health and safety risks of serving alcohol at teen parties.

If you would like to share tips, advice, or stories, please e-mail dwardwell@cvuhs.org