Too often parents look the other way when it comes
to teen drinking, assuming it is a ‘rite of passage.’ It is not unusual for
well-meaning parents to provide alcohol to their teen’s friends at home parties.
Inspirations
Teen Rehab encourages parents to be extra cautious in
preventing underage alcohol use during the festive holiday season when traffic
fatalities typically rise, as college students are returning home and holiday
parties abound.
According to the Century Council, a group of distillers
that works to reduce underage drinking, 17 percent of adults believe it is
acceptable for parents to provide alcohol to teens in their own homes.
A new Teens Today study from Students Against
Destructive Decisions (SADD) reports that 45 percent of high school teens are
allowed to drink at home. Almost one in three say they are allowed to mark
special occasions, like holidays, with alcohol at home. Over half of teens who
say their parents allow them to drink admit to drinking while out with their
friends, while only 14 percent of those who aren’t allowed to drink admit to
doing so while with friends.
Parents remember that offering alcohol to
person under 21 is a disorderly person’s offense and it is punishable by
monetary fines and up to six months incarceration. Possession of alcohol by an
underage person is also a disorderly person’s offense, punishable by the same
guidelines. Most importantly by encouraging your teen to drink alcohol you are
also encouraging a behavior that can turn into an addiction. There is no need
to include alcohol on your teen’s celebrations.
Happy Holidays from all of Us at Inspirations
for Youth and Families.
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