Tips To Help Parents Keep Teens Safe During Graduation Celebrations/Summer Parties

Graduation season is a time to share memories and celebrate accomplishments. The summer is filled with graduation parties and teens spending time with friends before they part ways for jobs and college. While this is an exciting time for everyone, The Governor's Prevention Partnership, in support of the "Set the Rules" statewide campaign, is urging parents to open lines of communication and to talk with their teens about the dangers of underage drinking and drug abuse. 

"Set the Rules" is designed to provide information and resources to help keep Connecticut's youth from drinking alcohol.  The statewide media campaign, sponsored by the Connecticut Office of Policy & Management and the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services in partnership with other Connecticut state agencies (see below), educates parents and adults about Connecticut's social host law and the impact of alcohol on teenage brain development. "We are asking all Connecticut adults to keep youth safe by following up on the Settherulesct.org campaign message," said the CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Commissioner Pat Rehmer. "Set the rules and tell children that underage drinking is not acceptable, that it is dangerous and illegal."

This renewed call-to-action comes on the heels of the release of a new national study, the 23rd annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), sponsored by MetLife Foundation and The Partnership at Drugfree.org, which reports that since 2008 there have been declines in teens' perceptions that they willharm themselves or mess up their lives if they use marijuana. The one consistent reason that 87% of youth surveyed gave for not using substances is fear of upsetting their parents.

"The newest PATS study proves that parents have a profound influence on their teens," said Jill Spineti, President of The Governor's Prevention Partnership.   "Therefore, we are pleased to partner with 'Set the Rules' to offer parents a plan of action that will help engage them in healthy conversations about underage drinking and drug abuse." 

Despite the fact that teens who report learning a lot from their parents about the risks of drugs and alcohol are half as likely as those who learn nothing from their parents to use drugs or alcohol, only 69 percent of parents of ninth though twelfth graders say they have ever had a discussion with their children about substance abuse, which is down from 82 percent in 2009. Furthermore, only 25 percent of parents keep their alcohol locked in a cabinet at home and 36 percent of parents lock up their prescription medications, marking a decrease since 2009.

"As teens' perceptions on the risks of drugs and alcohol decline, a heavier burden is placed on the shoulders of parents to play a more active role in protecting their kids from the health risks posed by drug and alcohol abuse," said Spineti.  "Recognizing mixed messages coming from today's pop culture environment including movies and music, a conversation between parents and children will increase youth knowledge of the risks and dangers associated with alcohol and drug use."

The Governor's Prevention Partnership has developed the following tips to help parents decrease the risk for underage drinking and drug abuse:

1. Parents Must Not Serve Alcohol. Serving alcohol to minors is a serious, criminal offense.  Even allowing underage youth access to alcohol (without directly providing it) violates Connecticut's social hosting law.  In addition, parents who provide or allow underage youth access to alcohol open themselves up to significant financial liability.  Beyond legal ramifications, it's important to remember that young people who start using alcohol before age 15 are five times more likely to have alcohol-related problems later in life (U.S. Surgeon General, 2007).

2. Trust, but Verify. Know your son or daughter's itinerary for the evening and check in with other adults or your child.  It's not unreasonable to "check in" with your child by cell phone to confirm that they are where they say they are.  Establish a curfew with your teenager based on past behavior and trustworthiness.  Discuss your expectations and involve him or her in these decisions.  

3. Don't Forget Social Media.  Check your teenager's Facebook, MySpace or Twitter account.  If you don't know what something means - ask.  There are lots of slang terms used as code to cover drinking and drug use, so if you're unsure as to what is being said, check out teenchatdecoder.com or decoder.drugfree.org.

4. Be Aware Of Local Alcohol-Free Events.  Most towns host an all-night, alcohol-free party on graduation night. These normally take place in the high school or a local venue and are open to all graduating students. They have a variety of games and activities to keep the students entertained, and students are not allowed to leave the building until the next morning. Check your local newspapers or call your child's school to see what activities are being held in your town for graduation night.

5. Consider Throwing An Alcohol-Free Party. If your town is not having their own activities,one strategy to keep teens safe is to host your own alcohol-free party.  This will requires vigilance, as everyone entering must be checked at the door and nobody should be allowed to leave and then return.  Parents should also consider banning backpacks and outside beverages.  Water bottles and other containers should not be allowed, as it's very easy to substitute alcohol for the original contents.

6. Talk With Your Teen (Listen Carefully Too!) Even if you have talked previously with your son or daughter, graduation parties and summer vacations are good times to reinforce your expectations.  Don't just talk-listen and be reasonable.  Specifically, talk about the dangers of getting into a car with someone who has been drinking.

7. Be Available.  Agree that your son or daughter can call you at any time for help or advice and that you will pick him/her up if needed, no questions asked.  Create a code word that your son or daughter can use to indicate that help is needed.

8. Encourage Summer Jobs/Activities. The summer months may mean a vacation from school for teens, but parents working all day may leave teens unsupervised for many hours. Encourage teens to get involved with community service or recreational sports, or a job. Keeping teens busy in a productive way will help to keep them out of trouble.

9. Put A Lock On It. As a parent of a teen, it is impossible to watch them every second, especially during summer vacation. A full work day is a long time for a teen to be alone at home, so make sure you lock up all of alcohol and prescription medications in the house. This assures that teens or their friends aren't getting into any of these substances from the home.

For more tips and resources, visit the "Set the Rules" website at  www.settherulesct.org or visit The Governor's Prevention Partnership's Parent Resource Center at www.preventionworksct.org.

The comprehensive "Set the Rules" media campaign is being implemented in cooperation with The Governor's Prevention Partnership; the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management; the Connecticut Departments of Children and Families, Consumer Protection - Division of Liquor Control, Education, Emergency Services and Public Protection, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Motor Vehicles, Public Health and Transportation; the divisions of Criminal Justice and Public Defender Services; and the Judicial Branch.  The Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) and the Connecticut Food Association have also joined the campaign, which runs throughout prom andgraduation season. 

Created in 1989, The Governor's Prevention Partnership is a not-for-profit partnership between state government and business leaders with a mission to keep Connecticut's youth safe, successful and drug-free leading to a stronger workforce tomorrow.  Co-chaired by Governor Dannel Malloy, The Partnership provides leadership and services to help schools, communities, youth organizations, colleges and businesses create and sustain quality mentoring programs and prevention initiatives in the areas of school violence and bullying, underage drinking and drug abuse.