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Did
you know . . .
•
The average age of an adolescent’s first drink is 12 and
nearly 20% of 12-20 year-olds are considered binge
drinkers. (Binge drinking is considered having four to five drinks
in a row.)
• Seventy-nine (79%) of all high school students have tried alcohol
at least once.
• Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more
likely to develop alcohol dependence than
those who begin drinking at age 21.
• One third of sixth and ninth graders obtain alcohol from their
own home.
•
Parents’ drinking behaviors and favorable attitudes about
drinking have been associated with adolescents’
initiating and continuing alcohol use.
Learn more sobering facts about underage drinking
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Your children need information to make good decisions.
Don’t wait until a problem arises to talk to them
about drinking alcohol. Be sure to tell your child:
THE BODY
> With
the first sip of alcohol, the drinker is affected.
> Alcohol passes through the lining of the stomach into the
bloodstream. It irritates the stomach lining, which can
make a person feel sick. If drinking continues, the person may vomit.
> Alcohol moves through the bloodstream to every organ in
the body, including the brain.
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PEERS
> Children often think that other people their age are drinking regularly,
but most are not.
>
Alcohol can hurt your child—even if he or she is
not the one drinking. If your child is around people who
are drinking, he or she has an increased risk of being
seriously injured or affected by violence. At the very
least, your child may have to deal with someone who is
sick, out of control, or unable to take care of themselves.
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THE LAW
>
It is illegal for anyone to buy or possess alcohol until
21 years of age.
>
Even one drink can cause a person to fail a breath test.
In some states, people under age 21 who have been drinking
can have their driver’s license suspended, be subject
to a heavy fine, or have their car permanently taken away.
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There are six actions you can take today to help keep
your
child alcohol free.
TALK EARLY AND OFTEN WITH YOUR CHILD
> Establish and maintain an open line of communication.
> Get into the habit of talking with your child every day.
This
will make it easier for you to have conversations about
serious subjects when necessary.
GET INVOLVED
> Talking with your child about his or her activities opens
up
an opportunity for you to share your interests and values.
> Young people are much less likely to have mental health
and
substance abuse problems when they have positive activities
to do and when caring adults are involved in their lives.
BE A ROLE MODEL
> Think about what you say and how you act in front of
your child. Your own actions are the most powerful indicator
to your children of what is appropriate and acceptable
in
your family.
> Do not take part in illegal, unhealthy, or dangerous
practices
related to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs or your child may
believe that these practices are OK no matter what you
say.
TEACH KIDS TO CHOOSE FRIENDS WISELY
> Teach your child how to form positive relationships.
> Help your child to understand what qualities to look
for
in a friend.
MONITOR YOUR CHILD’S ACTIVITIES
> Know where your children are and get acquainted with
their friends.
> Limit the amount of time your children spend without
an adult being present. Unsupervised children have more
opportunities to experiment with risky behaviors, including
the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs, and they
may
start substance abuse at earlier ages.
SET RULES
> Make clear, sensible rules for your child and enforce
them
with consistency and appropriate consequences.
>
Following these rules can help protect your child’s
physical
safety and mental well-being, which can lower his or
her risk
for substance abuse problems.
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Providing Alcohol to Minors
While
many young people celebrate safely and within the law, more
than a few families will host “open house parties” -
parties at which juveniles are provided alcohol. This is
illegal and parents need to know the law.
In Florida, any person who willfully and unlawfully sells
or furnishes alcoholic beverages to a person who is not
of legal drinking age (21) will be responsible for injuries
or damages caused by the intoxication of the minor.
Far too many communities in years past
have woken up to post-graduation-night headlines revealing
the death of
a teen that partied, drove, and died. Questions are then
raised about the accountability of the adult(s) that provided
the alcohol. Florida has a so called “open house
party” statute. This law makes it a criminal offense
for an adult having control of a residence to permit an
open house party to take place in the home if the adult
knows that any alcohol or drugs are being consumed by minors.
Our legislature intended to impose a duty of care on social
hosts by enacting this law. In laymen terms, you are responsible
for protecting minors that are too immature to appreciate
the consequences of their drinking or drug use.
In 2002, the Florida legislature amended
this “open
house party” law, expanding the potential of criminal
and civil responsibility to include individuals 18, 19,
20, and 21 years of age. Previously, the law limited responsibility
to hosts 21 and older. While some parents would argue that
it is safer for their own teenagers and their friends to
drink at home in a supervised atmosphere, anyone over 18
who engages in this practice may now assume a significant
risk in the civil and criminal courts. The Clay County
Sheriff’s Office cares about the health and welfare
of Clay County’s teenagers and encourages them to
stay alcohol-free.
More info
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Use these questions to interview your child and then let your
child interview you.
Let your child’s questions and answers lead you into a longer conversation.
Remember to change the questions as needed based on your child’s
age.
Be sure to practice active listening by showing interest in what
your child says; this will validate your child’s feelings.
If your child says something you don’t agree with, respond
positively and try to find a constructive answer.
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What three words would you use to describe yourself? To describe
me?
2. Who are some of your role models? What do you admire about these
people?
3. What scares or concerns you? What makes you happy?
4. What are your future goals?
5. How would drinking alcohol get in the way of your future goals?
6. What would you do if you were offered alcohol at a party?
7. What would you do if the person responsible for driving you
has been
drinking alcohol?
8. What would you really like to ask me but are too afraid to talk
about?
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| Your
Family Beliefs & History Around Alcohol |
IF SOMEONE
IN THE FAMILY DRINKS TOO MUCH OR IS IN RECOVERY
If your family has a history of alcoholism, your children need to know
that they are at a greater risk for problem drinking.
 > Discuss what drinking responsibly means, and that some people are unable
to drink alcohol at all without drinking
to excess.
> Explain that alcoholism is a progressive disease that is a combination of
physical addiction and mental obsession with drinking.
> Communicate the importance of abstaining from alcohol. Tell your children
that they need to delay drinking for as long as possible and recommend that they
not drink at all. Explain that the older they are before they take a drink, the
lower the chances that they will have problems with alcohol.
> Let your children know that drinking under the legal age of 21 is a major
risk for people with a family history of alcohol.
> Inform them that there are successful treatment options for people who drink
and develop problems with alcohol, and that you support family members who are
in recovery.
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More
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Alcohol
use among youth is strongly correlated with violence, risky sexual
behavior, poor academic performance and other harmful behaviors.
VIOLENCE
> Children who start drinking before age 15 are 12 times more likely to be
injured while under the influence of alcohol and 10 times more likely to be in
a night after drinking, compared with those who wait until they are.
SEXUAL ACTIVITY
> Alcohol use by teens is a strong predictor of both sexual activity and unprotected
sex.
> A survey of high school students found that 18% of females and 39% of males
say it is acceptable for a boy to force sex if the girl is high or drunk.
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More
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