Spring Critical Time for Urging Parents to Connect with Teens

Each weekend during prom and graduation season, nearly 50 teens are killed in car crashes. That’s far too many youth taking unnecessary risks during this time of celebration.  From spring break to prom, senior trips to graduation day, there are plenty of opportunities where teens may consider taking risks, especially drinking and illicit drug use.  Alcohol Awareness Month in April provides a great opportunity to encourage parents in your community to stay vigilant by connecting with teens and talking to them about the risks of using alcohol or illicit drugs. 

Now is the time to reach out to parents and teens in your community and encourage teens to celebrate safely – without alcohol or illicit drugs.  While most teens say no to alcohol and illicit drugs, the pressure is on during this season when teens are ready to party:

Six deaths each day – that’s the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s estimate of the number of 15- to 20-year-olds that die in alcohol-related crashes. 

Nearly 11 million 12- to 20-year-olds admitted they drank alcohol in the past month.  And underage drinking hasn’t changed much in the past four years.
 
In fact, more than seven million 12- to 20-year-olds engaged in binge drinking in the past month – that’s downing five or more drinks in a row.
 

For signs, symptoms, and risks of underage alcohol use and the dangers of mixing alcohol, illicit drugs and prescription drugs, please visit: http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drug_info_alcohol.asp.

Check back often to http://www.hugsnotdrugs.com for new info.....

Statistics and info courtesy of the NATIONAL YOUTH ANTI-DRUG MEDIA CAMPAIGN.

Order free resources for parents, including Navigating the Teen Years: A Parent’s Handbook for Raising Healthy Teens, by calling the Clearinghouse at (800) 788-2800.  For more information about talking with teens about alcohol, peer pressure, and warning signs of a drinking problem, please refer to: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s pamphlet, Make a Difference: Talk to Your Child About Alcohol – Parents Booklet at  http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/MakeADiff_HTML/MakeAdiff.pdf.