The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Parenting a teen can be challenging! But hang in there—talking with your teen is an important part of helping keep your family safe. Fortunately, you can improve parent-teen communication simply by learning how teens reason and make choices. (Hint: It’s different from adults!) You can also learn communication strategies that encourage teens to come out of their shells. Find these insights, tips, and techniques in MADD program brochure . Isn’t it better for parents to give teens alcohol under supervision? Won’t we help them learn to drink responsibly that way?  Parents, of course, have the choice of how to raise their own children. But you might want to consider lessons from science before handing your son or daughter a drink. Research shows that when parents give alcohol to kids, those children are more likely to get into alcohol-related trouble and they’re more likely to drink to get drunk than other young people. Giving kids a drink—even with the best of edu...

You probably see and hear a lot about alcohol—from TV, movies, music, and your friends. But what are the real facts about underage alcohol use? Myth Alcohol isn't as harmful as other drugs. FACT Alcohol increases your risk for many deadly diseases, such as cancer. Drinking too much alcohol too quickly can lead to alcohol poisoning, which can kill you. Myth Drinking is a good way to loosen up at parties. FACT Drinking is a dumb way to loosen up. It can make you act silly, say things you shouldn't say, and do things you wouldn't normally do (like get into fights). Myth Drinking alcohol will make me cool. FACT There's nothing cool about stumbling around, passing out, or puking on yourself. Drinking alcohol also can cause bad breath and weight gain. Myth All of the other kids drink alcohol. I need to drink to fit in. FACT If y...

And the ONE RULE you need to follow to stop it! The Pre-Game Teens often indulge in a “ pre-game ” drinking binge before parties or sports events. Large quantities are consumed quickly in order to sustain a sense of inebriation over many hours. The point of a pre-game binge is to achieve inebriation before an event where access to alcohol and drugs will be restricted. Pre-gaming is especially dangerous in that it often occurs in a vehicle. Although drinking can occur during the drive to the event, teens may also drink in the parking lot of the event venue. Alcohol can also be smuggled into venues, disguised in water bottles or hidden inside large purses or jackets. The Parent Game Plan : Before parties and big events, be involved as your teen prepares. When possible, drive your teen and his friends to the venue. As always, be honest with your teen about the dangers of drinking and your stance on the issue. Working for the Weekend Some kids work hard all ...

April is Alcohol Awareness Month.   Though parents shouldn't need a reminder to talk to their kids about the dangers and risks of underage drinking, this is a good time to be sure you find time to set aside and discuss this subject.  Peer pressure can be extremely powerful force - especially in middle school and high school. 1)  At what age would you suggest parents start talking to kids about alcohol? Should parents bring it up independently, or wait for their children to ask before broaching the topic? Like with any sensitive and serious subject, as soon as a parent believes their child is mature enough to understand the topic (alcohol) is when they should start discussions.  It can start by asking them their thoughts on alcohol, listen to them carefully and remember, never criticize.  Start the discussion at their level and start learning from each other. Education is the key to prevention and can help your child to better understand ...

Could your parenting style be driving your child to binge drink? For teenagers, friends play a big role in the decision to take that first drink. And by the 12th grade, more than 65 percent of teens have at least experimented with alcohol. But what parents do during the high school years can also influence whether teens go on to binge drink or abuse alcohol . Researchers at Brigham Young University have found that teenagers who grow up with parents who are either too strict or too indulgent tend to binge drink more than their peers . "While parents didn't have much of an effect on whether their teens tried alcohol, they can have a significant impact on the more dangerous type of drinking," says Stephen Bahr, a professor of sociology at BYU, and the author of the study that was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs . As part of the survey of 5,000 teenagers, Bahr and his colleagues asked 7th- to 12th-grade students a series of q...

Don't be a parent in denial, get your teen help. Alcohol Awareness Month , as declared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), aims to raise awareness about the seriousness of alcohol dependency and alcoholism, while recognizing the serious problem of alcohol abuse. It is an ideal time to educate yourself and loved ones about the dangers of alcohol abuse. A modest meeting amongst friends on campus can be enhanced immeasurably with the introduction of a fun, buzz-inducing drinking game. Of course, drinking in general is associated with the college experience, in which young adults assert their independence by going buck wild. Such behavior usually comes with the lack of a true understanding of the consequences of alcohol, and thus reckless behavior — albeit fun behavior — ensues. Consequently, some drinking games can turn a lively shindig into a deadly or at least vomit-inducing...

With the recent trial taking place in St. John's County , Florida of the mother that served alcohol and drugs at her home with teens, that resulted in two teens losing their lives in an auto accident, should have all parents thinking twice.  Teens and drinking is a serious concern - it is a fact, it is illegal for teens to drink in the United States under the age of 21. Source: Connect with Kids Teens and Drinking What Parents Don't Know “ Faithfully I stayed up every Friday and Saturday night, to check to see if [my son] was sober, to make sure that he got home. And he always appeared fine to me... I was clueless.” – Hedwig O'Brien, mother The statistics are sobering. In a recent national survey of more than 2,500 eleventh and twelfth graders, 90 percent of teens believe their counterparts are more likely to drink and drive on prom night and 79 percent believe the same is true for graduation night. Would most parents know if their children were drinking or usi...

Underage drinking and/or teenage drinking is a serious concern for parents. Alcohol is usually more accessible than most drugs. We often hear about college students that binge drink. Could this be the beginning of a dark future called alcoholism? During the month of April it is time to learn more about teen drinking and underage drinking. The younger you are when you start drinking, the greater your chance of becoming addicted to alcohol at some point in your life. More than 4 in 10 people who begin drinking before age 15 eventually become alcoholics. Children of addicts and alcoholics are four times more likely to become addicts and alcoholics themselves than children of non-addicts. Why do teens drink? Experimentation with alcohol during the teen years is common. Some reasons that teens use alcohol and other drugs are: curiosity to feel good, reduce stress, and relax to fit in to feel older From a very young age, kids see advertising messages showing beautiful people en...

Source: Connect with Kids “My mom is very level-headed, and she knows (I drink). She is very realistic.” – Erik, college sophomore College parties involving alcohol are common nationwide, and about one-quarter of all college students are binge drinkers. Twenty-year-old Erik says he is not a binge drinker, and one big reason is a conversation his mother had with him in the summer before his freshman year. “She told me, ‘I’m not naïve. I know you are going to drink. Just drink in moderation, don’t be stupid,’” Erik says. That kind of warning, and particularly its timeliness, can be very effective, according to a study from Boise State University in Idaho. If mothers talk to their teens about alcohol during the period between high school and college, kids listen, the study found. After one or more conversations with mom, the odds that a college student will binge drink fell from an estimated one-in-four, to as low as one-in-ten, according to the Idaho study. A lot of what moms tell us as ...