SUCAP
Youth Services
a division of Southern Ute Community Action Programs, Inc.
Parents: Alcohol and Other Drugs
Parents' behavior may contribute to underage drinking
Here's what recent studies show:
- Q: Where do underage drinkers get alcohol?
- A: Most underage drinkers get alcohol from their own parents, not from a careless liquor store clerk. (Study: Parents Often Source of Liquor for Underage Drinkers, July 27, 2008; citing recent SAMHSA report.)
- Q: How hard is it for kids to get alcohol in La Plata County?
- A: 40 percent of Durango seniors and 48 percent of Ignacio seniors said it would be "very easy" to get some beer, wine or hard liquor. (Source: Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2007–2008). In grades 6–12 overall, only 34 percent of Durango students and 39 percent of Ignacio students said it would be "very hard" for them to get alcohol. (HKCS 2007-2008).
You can do something about it
- Q: What can we do to prevent teen access to alcohol?
- A: Stand up and be heard:
- Talk to your kids early. Don’t wait until your kids get in trouble to tell them you don’t approve of them drinking, and that it is against the law. Studies show that parents’ attitudes toward drinking definitely do have an affect on whether kids choose to drink. (Source: SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse of Alcohol and Drug Information, The Role of Parents in Preventing and Addressing Underage Drinking.
- Keep track of the alcohol in your home. Make sure teens can't access it without your knowledge. Are you really sure they won’t get into the liquor cabinet?
- Spread the word that you don't want other people serving alcohol to your teen or condoning teen drinking. Your silence can be misinterpreted.
- Talk to adults who host teen parties. Let them know that 86 percent of parents support the legal drinking age and a whopping 96 percent of adults agree that it is not okay to serve alcohol to someone else's teen — and not okay to turn a blind eye to teens' alcohol consumption. (Source: Federal Trade Commission, DontServeTeens.gov, February 2009).
- Politely let other parents know that it is illegal in Colorado for adults to provide alcohol to someone else’s kids without their parents’ permission. (Source: Alcohol Policy Information System, State Profiles of Underage Drinking Laws, a project of the NIAAA, 2009).
- For more tips about preventing teen access to alcohol, visit DontServeTeens.gov
- For more information on underage drinking laws, visit the APIS website
Children whose parents abuse alcohol or other drugs are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependency or other drug problems. TheAntiDrug.com/ei/your_own_use.asp
How does your own use of drugs affect your kids? Visit TheAntiDrug.com/ei/your_own_use.asp
How does your own use of drugs affect your kids? Visit TheAntiDrug.com/ei/your_own_use.asp