Set a Healthy Example for Teens During the Holidays
By Sharon Foster and Michael Langer
Following the lead of some adults, teens can be tempted to end the year and ring in the new one by celebrating with alcohol. While we might know of parents who think that letting their teens drink at home, and teaching them to drink “responsibly” will keep them safe, most parents know this is a dangerous myth.
The good news for our teens is that most parents don’t provide alcohol to them. In the 2010 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey, only 13 percent of students said they got alcohol at home with permission; 10% said they got alcohol at a family party. For the parents who wonder where the harm is in letting teens drink on special occasions, such as holidays, let’s make a list:
- Children who use alcohol before the age of 15 are more than five times as likely to develop alcohol problems when they are adults. (NSDUH).
- A teen’s brain continues to develop until they reach the early 20s. Alcohol can permanently damage long and short-term brain growth during this time, impairing memory, learning and judgment (American Medical Association).
- Teens who drink are more likely to do poorly in school, commit or be the victim of violence (including sexual assault), be involved in car crashes, and to experience stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts. (Alcohol Justice).
- Teens who are allowed to drink at home may reason that it’s also ok for them to drink with their friends. Allowing underage drinking during holidays deprives teens of the clear, common sense guidelines they need to make good choices all year long.
Parents, you have the power to help teens avoid alcohol. Use your influence to talk regularly with your teens about the risks of underage drinking, set clear expectations for behavior, and enforce consistent, logical consequences for breaking the rules. Most of all, set a healthy example by showing teens that adults don’t need alcohol to celebrate. Your teen will be less likely to use alcohol, and more likely to enjoy a healthy new year.
Sharon Foster and Michael Langer are co-chairs of the Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, a coalition of state, local and nonprofit agencies dedicated to reducing underage drinking. Foster is the chair of the Washington State Liquor Control Board. Langer is a behavioral health administrator with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services’ Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery.
Get Help!
If you or someone you know has trouble controlling alcohol use, help is available and treatment works. Call the Washington Recovery Help Line for free, confidential information, including state-funded treatment and referrals: 1-866-789-1511.
