1.  Set rules:   Let your child know that under-age drinking is unacceptable. The majority of kids say that upsetting their parents or losing the respect of family and friends is one of the main reasons they don’t drink or use other drugs. Set limits with clear consequences for breaking them.  Praise and reward good behavior.

2.  Understand and communicate:   Take time to learn the facts about underage drinking and talk to your teen about its harmful health and social effects on young users.

3.  Make sure you know where your teen is:   Know where your teen will be and what they will be doing during unsupervised time. Research shows that teens with unsupervised time are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as underage drinking, sexual activity and cigarette smoking.

4.  Make sure you know who your teen is with:   Get to know your teen’s friends and their parents by inviting them over for dinner or talking with them at your teen’s soccer practice, dance rehearsal or other activities.  Stay in touch with the adult supervisors of your child (camp counselors, coaches, employers).

5. Engage your teen in summer activities:   Enroll your child in a supervised summer camp, educational program, or a summer sports league. Research shows that teens who are involved in constructive, adult-supervised activities are less likely to drink or use drugs

6.  Reserve time for family:   Spend time together as a family regularly.

For more tips on talking with your teen during the summertime or anytime visit:

http://underagedrinking.samhsa.gov/conversation.aspx 

• Parents who had clear discussions with their children around the risks of underage drinking before the age of 10, had children who were less likely to initiate alcohol use early.
• Children who drink before the age of 15 are 4 times more likely to develop a lifelong dependency on alcohol.
• It is illegal to allow minors to possess alcohol or “host” underage drinking parties.
• 65% of teenagers report they get their alcohol from family & friends.
• Alcohol used during adolescence may affect brain development.

To view the full “The Power of Parents” brochure with parenting tips, information on alcohol & the teenage brain and other resources, please visit Positive Directions website:www.positivedirections.org

Q.  Can parents legally buy a drink for their own under 18 child in a restaurant? Offer a glass of wine at home? And what about a child who is 18, but not 21 yet?
A restaurant cannot serve anyone under the age of 21. A parent may serve a glass of wine to their own children only while at home. They cannot serve anyone under the age of 21 while in their home. They are criminally and civilly responsible.

Q.  If a parent suspects that their teen is drinking and driving, can they ask the police to pull him/her over and administer a sobriety test?  If the test is positive, can the consequences be modified to avoid going to court, as I understand it is very costly for the parents?

A person can be placed on a breathalyzer at the police department only after there was probable cause to make a motor vehicle stop (a violation) and after a field sobriety test, a field investigation and an interview with the person who was arrested for DWI. To be placed on the Breathalyzer, the person has to be in police custody i.e. under arrest.

A parent can tell if their child has been drinking and driving as their breath (a slight hint is enough), body odor, motor skills, speech, and appearance are all signs that you will be able to notice.

I recommend that the issue not be discussed when observed but at a time when all minds are clear.  There will be less chance for a difficult confrontation.

Also, check the motor vehicle department home page about what a parent can do with respect to an underage person’s driver’s license.

Remind your teen: “driving a motor vehicle in Connecticut is a privilege not a right.”

If you would like to reeive Detective Carl’s e-watch emails, just look under Yahoo Groups, Weston eWatch.

Drinking, Driving and Paying
By DAVID UPDIKE
Published: December 3, 2010
The consequences and calculations of being over the legal limit.

Here’s what can happen: You attend a small dinner party at your brother’s house with your 80-year-old mother, your visiting 74-year-old second cousin from Holland and assorted other family members. As per family custom, you enjoy hors d’oeuvres and several glasses of wine over a lovely meal full of conversation and laughter.

Around 9 o’clock, after a couple of small cups of coffee, and a little more wine, a thimble’s worth of Scotch, you prepare to leave, and do so. Ten minutes later, on a quiet country road near a small town, you notice flashing blue lights behind you; you stop, and you are spoken to by a young officer who asks if you have been drinking.

Click link to continue reading…

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/magazine/05lives-t.html

Click on this link for a recent article from CNN:

CAFFEINE ALCOHOL DRINKS UNSAFE

Prom Night Safety Tips For Parents

• Know and discuss the School code of conduct before the prom with your child.
• Does the school code of conduct extend to off-site functions that have been approved by the school?
• Know who your child is attending the prom with and discuss the events for pre and post prom parties with other parents.
• Discuss the dangers of drinking and driving.
• Talk with your child about the dangers of club drugs, warning signs and who to notify for assistance.
• Pre-plan and role-play answers that your child can use to get out of uncomfortable situations. (e.g., offered alcohol, getting a ride from an intoxicated driver, unwanted sexual advances, etc.)
• Discuss guidelines and a curfew. Discuss the consequences of violating these rules.
• Discuss travel plans, use a reputable limousine service that will not allow a person to bring, serve or introduce alcohol into the vehicle.
• Know who is driving to the prom and who will be a passenger. Limit the number of passengers to increase safety and reduce driver distractions.
• Know the location of post prom parties and who is sponsoring them.
• Talk to your teenager about the serious dangers and consequences of underage drinking and driving.
• If your child’s’ plans change, confirm the change with the parents of other children.
• Remind your child that you are there for them, if they need a ride home or to an after prom affair.

Prom Night Tips for Teens

• Alcohol is illegal for persons under the age of twenty-one. Underage drinking can result in arrest, injury, or worse!
• Don’t let friends drink and drive.
• Plan ahead – make sure you have a safe plan for prom night.
• Discuss your plans with your friends, remind each other about responsible decision-making and confronting peer pressure.
• Do not accept any drinks from someone you do not know. If you leave your drink, discard it and get a new one.
• Do not leave your possessions unattended.
• Learn the warning signs for alcohol poisoning and drug intoxication, contact 911 for assistance and immediate treatment.
• Take extra money or have a responsible person available for transportation for a safe ride home or in case an emergency arises.
• Remember to charge you cell phone and have it with you.
• Know where you are and where you are going, keep your parents and friends informed.
• Trust your instincts, if you feel endangered or uncomfortable, leave immediately.
• Intoxication by alcohol or drugs can lead to poor judgment and dangerous situations.
• Remember to contact your parents if your plans change.
• Practice and discuss answers you can use to get out of uncomfortable situations.
• Do not allow anyone in your car or limo that has drugs or weapons. It is dangerous and every one in the car is at risk of getting arrested.
• It is illegal to alter your drivers’ license or any other form of government identification

WHS Principal with WHS student at Preprom Program May 2010

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