A MESSAGE FROM THE SOUTH DAKOTA OFFICE OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND PRAIRIE VIEW PREVENTION SERVICES.
HAVE THE TALK
SafeSouthDakota.com
PARENTS
MATTER
WORST NIGHTMARE
UNDERAGE DRINKING TALKING POINTS
PARENTS DO MATTER
Research shows that parents are the #1 reason young
people decide not to drink. Start talking to your children
about alcohol before they start drinking. (SAMHSA)
Teens who engage in conversation with parents and
significant adult role models are more resilient and better
able to resist risky or unsafe behaviors. It’s crucial for adults
to talk to them about making smart decisions.
RISKY BEHAVIOR
Kids who drink are more likely to be involved in alcoholrelated traffic crashes, to be victims of violent crime and to
have serious school-related problems.
Children who are allowed to sip alcohol by the time
they are in sixth grade are more likely to drink by
the time they reach ninth grade according to a
recent study by researchers at Brown University.
The study also found that these children were
four times more likely to binge drink or get drunk
compared with teens that hadn’t sipped alcohol as
children. (Partnership for Drug-Free Kids)
Approximately 23.5 percent of South Dakota high school
seniors see no risk or a slight risk of harming themselves
after having five or more drinks of alcohol in a row within
a couple of hours (binge drinking).
(2015 SD Youth Risk Behavior Survey)
REDUCE THE CHANCE
Use these effective communication strategies to reduce the
chance that your child will drink, drive under the influence,
or ride with someone who is under the influence.
Show you disapprove of underage drinking. Over 80% of
young people ages 10-18 say their parents are the leading
influence on their decision to drink or not drink. So they really
are listening, and it’s important that you send a clear and
strong message.
Show you care about your child’s happiness and well-being.
Young people are more likely to listen when they know
you’re on their side. Try to reinforce why you don’t want
your teen to drink–not just because you say so, but because
you want your teen to be happy and safe. The conversation
will go a lot better if you’re working with, and not against,
your teen.
Show you are a good source of information about alcohol.
You want your teen to make informed decisions about
drinking, with reliable information about its dangers. You
don’t want your child to learn about alcohol from friends,
the internet, or the media. Establish yourself as a trustworthy
source of information.
Show you’re paying attention and you’ll notice if your
teen drinks.
You want to show you’re keeping an eye on your child,
because young people are more likely to drink if they think no
one will notice. There are many subtle ways to do this without
prying. (SAMHSA)
The best evidence says that these conversations need to be
repeated, as a teen’s psychological readiness to hear what
adults have to say isn’t always apparent. It’s also important to
have facts on hand, to make your points stick. So be patient,
be ready to encounter some resistance and be willing to do
it all over again later.
TALK TO YOUR TEEN
There is no magic opening when you talk to your teen
about alcohol.
Think of this talk as an ongoing conversation.
n Make it a conversation, not a lecture.
n Ask your teen what he or she knows about alcohol use and teen drinking.
n LISTEN carefully, without interrupting. This will help
teens feel heard and respected and can be a conversation starter.
n Use facts and be direct about alcohol use.
• Alcohol is a powerful drug that slows down the body
and mind.
• On average, it takes two to three hours for a single
drink to leave a person’s system. Nothing can speed up this process.
• People tend to be very bad at judging how seriously alcohol has affected them. Individuals who drive after drinking think they can control a car–but they cannot.
• Anyone can develop a serious alcohol problem, including a teenager. (NCADD)
A MESSAGE FROM THE SOUTH DAKOTA OFFICE OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND PRAIRIE VIEW PREVENTION SERVICES.
HAVE THE TALK
SafeSouthDakota.com
RULEMAKING TIPS:
n Set
clear rules and discuss in advance the
consequences of breaking them.
n Consistently enforce the rules.
n Renegotiate the rules as your teen gets older.
n Have teens check in at regular times when they
are away from home or school.
n Call parents whose home is used for a party (offer to help with snacks or supervision).
n Make it easy for your teen to leave a party where alcohol is being used.
n Listen to your instincts–don’t be afraid to intervene if your gut reaction tells you something is wrong.
n Use “teachable moments” to talk to your teen about alcohol use. (JOURNAL OF STUDIES ON ALCOHOL)
TEN TIPS FOR PARENTS:
1. Don’t be afraid to be the bad parent. Sometimes our fear of negative reaction from
our teens keeps us from doing what is right.
2. Connect with your child’s friends.
Pay attention to whom your teen is hanging out with and who’s coming to the house–and get to know them.
3. Make connections with other parents.
As you get to know your teen’s friends, take the opportunity to introduce yourself to
his/her parents.
4. Promote healthy activities. Help your teens and their friends learn how to have fun and fight boredom in safe ways.
5. Establish clear family rules about alcohol and drugs. Setting specific clear rules is the foundation for parental efforts in prevention.
6. Get educated about alcohol and drugs. Don’t rely on your own personal experiences or common sense to carry you through.
7. Be a role model and set a positive example. Bottom line–from a teen’s perspective, what you do is more important than what you say.
8. Keep track of your teen’s activities. Asking questions, keeping track and checking in are
all important.
9. Keep track of alcohol and prescription drugs. For teens, the most common source of alcohol and prescription drugs is parents.
10. Get help. If at any point you suspect that your teen is having a problem with alcohol and/or drugs, get help. Don’t wait. (NCADD)
TALK WITH YOUR COLLEGE-AGE TEENS
ABOUT ALCOHOL USE.
Discuss college drinking. Parents can use this important time to
help prepare their college-age sons and daughters by talking with
them about the consequences of excessive drinking.
First-year students living on campus may be at particular risk for
alcohol misuse. During high school, college-bound teens tend to
drink less than other classmates. During subsequent years, heavy
drinking rates of college students surpass those of their non-college
peers, contributing to serious difficulties with the challenging
transition to college.
Parents can help.
To stay involved during this critical time, parents should:
n Inquire about campus alcohol policies and prevention programs.
n Call sons and daughters frequently.
n Ask about roommates and living arrangements.
n Talk about risks of alcohol use.
• Penalties for underage drinking
• Can lead to sexual assault and rape
• Academic failure
• Alcohol poisoning
The most effective deterrent to alcohol and drug use isn’t
the police, prisons or politicians – it’s you.
THE BOTTOM LINE
n Establish
open communication. Make it easy for your teen to talk
honestly with you.
n Show you care. Even though teens may not show it, they still
need to know that they are important to their parents. Make it a
point to regularly spend one-on-one time with your child.
n Draw the line. Set clear, realistic expectations for your child’s
behavior. Establish appropriate consequences for breaking rules
and consistently enforce them.
n Offer acceptance. Make sure your teen knows that you
appreciate his or her efforts as well as accomplishments.
n Avoid hurtful teasing or criticism.
n Understand that your child is growing up. This doesn’t mean a
hands-off attitude. As you guide your child’s behavior, also make
an effort to respect his or her growing need for independence
and privacy. (NIAAA)
ALCOHOL POISONING
Talk to your college-age teen and make certain they know
the sign:
n Mental confusion, stupor, coma or person cannot be roused
n Vomiting
n Seizures
n Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute)
n Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
n Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I SUSPECT SOMEONE HAS OVERDOSED?
n Be
aware that a person who has passed out may die.
there is any suspicion of an alcohol overdose, call 911 for help. Don’t try to guess the level of drunkenness.
n If