Ohio Spirits 2018 Q2 - 38

Letting your kids
drink at home is
more likely to
cause problems
for them later in
life. If anything,
the only thing
you could be
role modeling
is letting teens
drink before
their brain, body
and maturity
are ready to
handle it.
later in life. If anything, the only thing
you could be role modeling is letting
teens drink before their brain, body and
maturity are ready to handle it.

So, what can we do as parents to
protect our children and help them
resist the pressures to drink?
For starters, we can choose not to provide them with alcohol in our home. We
should also teach them that alcohol is something for mature adults whose brains have
fully developed to choose whether they want
to imbibe it.
We can also lock up any alcohol in our
house so no one-our teens or someone
else's-gets into it without our knowledge.
But securing alcohol in our own home is
only half the battle. As long as other parents
provide alcohol for parties, our teens are at
risk of being pressured into drinking.
Most parents who provide alcohol for an
underage person are likely doing so because
they wrongly believe that it's harmless. By
educating them on the risks and harmful
health effects, we can change their opinions
and their behavior.

PARENTS MAKE A
DIFFERENCE

PARENTS SHOULD:
*

*

Host safe, alcohol-free
activities

Be at home during a party

*

Make sure the child's
friends do not bring
alcohol

*

*

Adolescents will listen to their parents
about drinking and smoking, particularly if
the discussion is a balance of discipline and
support.

*

Adolescents who are aware that their parents
would be upset with them if they drank are
less likely to do so.

*

When parents allow their child to attend
parties where alcohol is served, the child will
be two and a half times more likely to have
tried alcohol and marijuana.

*

By age 17, nearly half of teens have been at
parties where alcohol and drugs are being
used and parents were present.

Talk to other parents about
providing alcohol
Report underage drinking
COURTESY OF DRUG-FREE ACTION ALLIANCE

38

*

Refuse to supply alcohol
or allow drinking in your
home

*

OHIO SPIRITS

We can also educate them about the
law. Here in Ohio, it's illegal to provide
alcohol for underage drinkers. Violators
can be fined, sent to jail, lose their license
or even be sued for damages that are incurred.
With all the focus on the opioid epidemic, it can be hard to remember that
alcohol kills more people than opioids. It
also causes serious harm to a teen's body
and developing brain and increases the
risks of violence, suicide, sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.
If you know of a parent who provides
teens with alcohol, you should talk to
them-educate them about the health
risks and possible legal consequences of
their actions. Remind them that they're
supposed to be a parent to their children.
And being a parent means role modeling
responsible behavior, including not providing alcohol for underage drinkers.

COURTESY OF DRUG-FREE ACTION ALLIANCE
Ohio Spirits 2018 Q2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ohio Spirits 2018 Q2
