For parents, the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” is true. Once a child is a heavy drinker, a binge drinker, or addicted to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, it’s very hard to reverse that behavior. On the other hand, parents, teachers or spiritual leaders who are able to inspire children and young adults to discuss their problems openly, may be able to influence this highly impressionable population to walk down the safer yellow brick road.
Even the youngest child of four or five can understand simple explanations about what alcohol is, how it can be handled responsibly, why limits on its use are in place in your family and what those limits are.
Action Checklist
Establish a loving, trusting relationship.
Make it easy for your teen to talk to you.
Talk with your child about alcohol facts, reasons not to drink, and ways to avoid drinking in difficult situations.
Keep tabs on your young teen’s activities, and join with other parents in making common policies about teen alcohol use.
Develop family rules about teen drinking and establish consequences.
Set a good example regarding your own alcohol use and your response to teen drinking.
Encourage your child to develop healthy friendships and fun alternatives to drinking.
Know whether your child is at high risk for a drinking problem; if so, take steps to lessen that risk.
Know the warning signs of a teen drinking problem and act promptly to get help for your child.
Believe in your own power to help your child avoid alcohol use.
This Action Checklist is courtesy of the NIAAA's comprehensive brochure , “Make A Difference”
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