Get tips on talking to your teen about underage drinking.
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Parents, Talk to your child about underage drinking Today and Tomorrow
Parents with children of all ages can find these resources helpful and informative.
The Anti-Drug program provides parents with information on popular drugs teens are using as well as parenting advice on how to detect if your child is using.
Drug Free America provides resources for parents to educate themselves on drug prevention, intervention and how to raise a healthy teenager. It provides tools for: communicating with your child, understanding teens, how to detect drug use, and how to protect your child.
too SMART to START a website from the federal governments Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) provides resources for parents on how to communicate to their child about underage drinking. Provides ways to help parents prevent their child from using substances and offers facts to help educate the child during the communication.
NIAAA. In a comprehensive study published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, researchers highlight topics such as; why adolescents drink, what the risks are, and how underage drinking can be prevented. This article gives practical solutions and provides some explanations for why youth are so easily influenced to start binge drinking at such a young age even though there are so many people saying “just say no”.
Resources on how to raise a healthy child.
MVParents. Helping kids steer clear of alcohol involves more than simply warning them of the dangers; it involves helping them feel safe, supported, and free to talk about anything on their minds. It also requires building a strong relationship with your children and nurturing their personal values and skills to help them make smart decisions. MVParents is an excellent website specifically for parents. The website features many topics that are helpful for parents. When you become a new parent there are so many resources for parents, and as your child develops into an adolescent there seems to be few resources. MVParents is an excellent resource.
Casel provides resources for parents on how to raise a healthy child. They provide tips on the social and emotional development of your child. The resources below offer advice for each stage of your child’s development.
Intervention and Treatment
Is your child showing signs or symptoms of substance abuse?
Mass Helpline provides referrals for Alcohol and other drug problems and related concerns. The helpline is committed to linking consumers with current information about treatment and prevention services throughout Massachusetts. Mass Helpline operates 24 hours a day and has interpreters available.
Alcoholic Anonymous is a program designed to support individuals coping with the alcoholism addiction.
Al-Anon/Alateen is an intervention program that offers family support around alcoholism. Their mission is to target alcoholism at the family level. They assist the family by offering them support while they conquer the issues facing the addiction.
Family Anonymous is a support group for families that offers weekly meetings to communicate the apparent issues that are affecting multiple family members. The issues that can be addressed range from adolescent problems to substance abuse.
Resources on sexually active teens and alcohol use.
Teen Drug Abuse. When teens are under the influence of alcohol, they are more likely to engage in risky sexual activities, such as having unprotected sex or having sex with a stranger. They are also more vulnerable to sexual assault and experiences they will likely regret when sober. Research shows teen drinkers are more than twice as likely to have had sexual intercourse within the past three months as teens who don’t drink.
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy It often is the case that risky teen behavior, including drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, delinquency, and sexual activity, occur among the same groups of teens. Therefore, teens who drink or use drugs often are more sexually active and less likely to use contraception when they have sex than teens who take fewer risks. They also tend to have more sexual partners, and often start having sex at younger ages.
