The HHAPC thought this was important information to post, from the new website www.underYOURinfluence.org:
Keep the freedom to drive! Lose the Booze!
Summer is a great time to kick back, have fun, and enjoy more free time.
But what happens when the back yard cookouts and summer vacations involve alcohol?
Sometimes parents and other adults take a break from the rules during vacation and allow youth to drink alcohol and most teens simply have more unsupervised free time on their hands during the summer season. Some parents think it's just fine to give their teen alcohol or provide alcohol for a teenage party, but these kinds of risky behaviors have deadly consequences. Teens need to know that it is never acceptable to drink while underage. Teens need adults who set the limits not push the limits. Be the influence that mentors to your teen and other young adults that underage drinking laws never take a vacation for some pretty important reasons.
Underage drinking can lead to drinking and driving. Despite the fact they cannot legally purchase or drink alcohol in any state, teens are at far greater risk of death in an alcohol-related crash than the overall population. Set the house rule that your teen's freedom to drive is tied to zero use of alcohol and enforce the rule even during the summer vacation season.
Statistics show that students whose parents never allowed them to drink were significantly less likely to drink heavily in college, regardless of gender. It may seem the "cool" thing to do - but you are not doing them any favor.
Parents, it's up to you and YOUR influence. Keep your teen safe. Take a hard stand against underage drinking so that your teen can drive by the rules and keep the privilege!
For more information and helpful tips, visit the Under YOUR Influence underage drinking section.
Parents: The Top 10 Ways to Prevent Underage Drinking
1. TALK WITH YOUR TEEN. Studies show that parents have a big impact as to whether their teens will engage in risky behaviors. Talk openly with your teen about alcohol use and establish consequences for use and rewards for following your house rules.
2. PROVIDE STRUCTURE. Make clear family rules. Support "no alcohol" rules that have zero tolerance consequences and provide extended priveleges as a reward for following house rules.
3. HOST A PARTY. Plan a party at your house with clear rules of no drugs or alcohol, and ENFORCE your rules.
4. FOSTER SELF-CONFIDENCE. Talk to your teen about peer pressure, and help them come up with ways to say "no". Make sure to praise them for the good decisions they make.
5. LAY DOWN THE LAW. Remind your teen that it is illegal for them to drink, and make sure they know you will be enforcing the law with them.
6. ENSURE SAFETY. Remind your teen not to ride with someone who has been drinking.
7. BE AWARE OF YOUR CIVIL LIABILITY. You as a parent are responsible if your teen or your teen's friends are drinking in your home.
8. BE A ROLE MODEL. Use alcohol in moderation, be a responsible host when serving other adults, and never drink and drive.
9. BE AVAILABLE, AND KNOW YOUR STUFF. Be ready to talk to your teen about the dangers of alcohol use. Do some research about teens and drinking.
10. DON'T WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS. If you even think your teen is drinking, intervene.
For more information on helping your teen say "no" to alcohol, visit the underage drinking section of Under YOUR Influence!
Source: SAFEnet, Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control Outreach Office, www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DLC
Underage Drinking Prevention Resources The Under YOUR Influence Web site has a great section focused solely on underage drinking prevention!
Navigate to this section for information related to preventing underage drinking. Check it out for great links, underage drinking facts, and an interactive map that lists the underage drinking laws for each individual state. It's important to remind your teen that they need to drive by the rules in order to keep the privilege!
To check out the underage drinking section of Under YOUR Influence, click here.
Let's work together to put a stop to underage drinking!
There's no doubt about it: underage drinking is RISKY. And it's also ILLEGAL.
Teens that drink face huge consequences, including the price teens pay if they drink and drive.During 2006, 7,643 15- to 20-year-old drivers and motorcycle operators were involved in fatal traffic crashes across the nation, 1,377 (18 percent) of whom had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher even though they should have no BAC.
Nationally, 64 percent of all drivers or motorcycle operators ages 15 to 20 who were involved in fatal traffic crashes and had a BAC of .08 or higher died as a result of the crash.Violators of underage drinking laws often face a trip to jail, the loss of their driver's license, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses, including but not limited to attorney fees, court costs, and other fines.
Plus, there is the added embarrassment, humiliation, and potential loss and consequence related to academic eligibility, college acceptance, scholarship awards, future career opportunities, and more.Teens and parents both need a strong reminder: underage drinking is illegal and can have disastrous consequences!
Make sure your teen is Under YOUR Influence when it comes to underage drinking!
For more statistics and facts on underage drinking, check out the Under YOUR Influence Web site.
The Underage Drinking Conversation
Start early and always keep the lines of communication open
Starting a conversation with your teen about avoiding underage drinking may be an uncomfortable conversation but one that should be started early and continued for a lifetime.
Under YOUR Influence provides a great resource to help called "Starting the Conversation"!
This section of the Web site provides some great ideas for talking with your teen about staying away from alcohol use.
A few sample topics include:
Do your friends drink? If so, during what times and events? If not, why not?Why do people in your school drink? Is it hard to say no to drinking? Why or why not?What are your plans for the future? How does a DUI fit into those plans?
Parents: it's up to you to talk to your teen about these important topics.
Let's support each other:
What ideas do you have when it comes to teen driving? What has worked with your teen? Each month, we'll feature a discussion question in this newsletter, and we invite you to head to the
Under YOUR Influence Message Board to share your response.
This month's question: How do you prevent your teen from drinking?
Share your experience and let your voice be heard, and join the conversation at the UYI Message Board.
Let's work together to help teens drive by the rules and keep the privilege!
Underage Drinking Web Links
We've put together some great links on the Under YOUR Influence Web site related to underage drinking.
Check out the NHTSA link, which offers posters, earned media materials, tips for parents, and more!
To learn more about underage drinking laws in your state, check out the interactive underage drinking map, found at Under YOUR Influence.
To see the map, click here.
The nationwide campaign Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. impaired driving crackdown is a comprehensive impaired driving prevention program organized by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that focuses on combining high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness through advertising and publicity.
Far too many people still don't understand that alcohol, drugs, and driving don't mix. Impaired driving and crashes are not accidents, nor is it a victimless crime.
Parents, teen drivers need YOUR guidance and enforcement - YOUR Influence.
Set and enforce these rules:
First, it's never OK to drink or do drugs. Second, it's never OK to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
For more information, check out http://www.stopimpaireddriving.org/.
YOUR Teen Driver - YOUR InfluenceDrive by the Rules. Keep the Privilege.
Under YOUR Influence is filled with many helpful resources!
Easy-to-Find Facts on:
Seat Belt Use
State Graduated Driver License Requirements
Underage Drinking and Driving
Tips for Parents on Setting House RulesCommunity Action ToolkitEarned Media Resources
Help connect parents of teen drivers to this easy-to-use resource by inviting them to sign up for the monthly Under YOUR Influence Newsletter and by creating a link on your web site and newsletters to this new resource.
To sign up to receive this monthly newsletter, visit here.
Help spread the word about this helpful resource! To invite others to visit the Under YOUR Influence site, click here.
Support and materials for Under YOUR Influence is provided by theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Visit NHTSA for more information.
This resource is a tool produced by the National Organizations for Youth Safety coalition.Visit http://www.noys.org/ for more information.
