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Teen drinking: Talking to your teen about alcohol
Talking about teen drinking
It can be tough to talk about teen drinking. You may be unsure of what to say, and your teen may try to dodge the conversation. To increase your odds of having a meaningful discussion, choose a time when you and your teen are relaxed. Don't worry about covering everything at once. If you talk often, you may have a greater impact on your teen than if you have only a single discussion.
When you talk about teen drinking, you might:
- Ask your teen's views. Find out what your teen knows and thinks about alcohol.
- Share facts. Explain that alcohol is a powerful drug that slows the body and mind, and that anyone can develop an alcohol problem — even a teen.
- Debunk myths. Teens often think that drinking makes them popular or happy. Explain that alcohol is a depressant that also may cause sadness and anger.
- Discuss reasons not to drink. Avoid scare tactics. Instead, explain the risks and appeal to your teen's self respect.
- Plan ways to handle peer pressure. Brainstorm with your teen about how to respond to offers of alcohol. It might be as simple as saying, "No thanks," or "Do you have any soda?"
- Be prepared to discuss your own drinking. Your teen may ask if you drank alcohol when you were a teen. If you chose not to drink, explain why. If you chose to drink, you might share an example of a negative consequence of your drinking.
The best way to encourage your teen to avoid drinking is to develop a strong relationship with him or her. Your support will help your teen build the self-esteem he or she needs to stand up to peer pressure — and be an incentive to live up to your expectations.
Other preventive strategies
In addition to talking to your teen, consider other strategies to prevent teen drinking:
- Know your teen's activities. Pay attention to your teen's plans and whereabouts. Encourage participation in supervised after-school and weekend activities.
- Establish rules and consequences. Rules might include no underage drinking, leaving parties where alcohol is served and not riding in a car with a driver who has been drinking. Agree on the consequences of breaking the rules ahead of time — and enforce them consistently.
- Set an example. If you drink, do so in moderation and explain to your teen why it's OK for adults to drink sometimes. Explain some of the rules you follow, such as not drinking and driving. Don't serve alcohol to anyone who's underage.
- Encourage healthy friendships. If your teen's friends drink, your teen is more likely to drink, too. Get to know your teen's friends and their parents.
Seeking help for teen drinking
If you suspect that your teen has been drinking, talk to him or her. Enforce the consequences you've established so that your teen understands that using alcohol will always result in a loss of privileges. Accepting moderate use of alcohol may send the message that teen drinking isn't dangerous. If you think your teen may have a drinking problem, consider contacting a health care professional who specializes in alcohol problems.
Remember, it's never too soon to start talking to your teen about alcohol use. By broaching the topic, you'll help give your teen the guidance and support necessary to make good choices.
Previous page(2 of 2)
- Facts about alcohol and adolescent health. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/AboutNIAAA/NIAAASponsoredPrograms/AlcoholAdolescentHealth.htm. Accessed Jan. 13, 2009.
- Talk to your child about alcohol. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/children.pdf. Accessed Jan. 13, 2009.
- The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent and reduce underage drinking 2007. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/underagedrinking/calltoaction.pdf. Accessed Jan. 13, 2009.
- The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent and reduce underage drinking: What it means to you. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/underagedrinking/familyguide.pdf. Accessed Jan. 13, 2009.
- Alcohol alert. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/AA67/AA67.htm. Accessed Jan. 13, 2009.
- Tapert SF, et al. Alcohol and the adolescent brain - human studies. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh284/205-212.htm. Accessed Jan. 13, 2009.
- Teens: Alcohol and other drugs. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/teens_alcohol_and_other_drugs. Accessed Feb. 5, 2009.
- Morse RM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 16, 2009.
