Be Alert During Prom & Grad Season

As a parent, what can you do during prom and graduation season to make sure your kids stay safe? Celebrations are certainly in order for these joyous occasions, but be alert to the fact that youth may try to involve alcohol as part of the festivities. Your children may try to convince you that it’s the norm to have alcohol at teen parties in the home, but this is both dangerous and illegal.

Unfortunately, when most kids drink, their intention simply is to get drunk, as opposed to adults who have learned to moderate their consumption of alcohol. Youth drink hard and fast, and often see alcohol as “the entertainment” during a social gathering. Researchers now know that alcohol affects the teen brain differently than adults, and that even moderate amounts can lead to long-term cognitive damage.

Before prom and graduation celebrations begin, make sure your child understands the physical and mental harms of alcohol. Unhealthy attitudes developed during teen years may contribute to problem drinking later in life, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Parents and adults can take proactive steps to help prevent alcohol use now and to ensure a safe future for their children.

Below are some tips to keep in mind during prom and graduation season:

1. Don’t allow your child to go to a party where you believe alcohol will be served, even if it’s hosted by an adult. As a reminder, your child—as well as the adult serving liquor to teens—can be arrested at this party should law enforcement arrive.

2. Help your child develop an inconspicuous “exit plan” if alcohol or drugs are served at a party. For example, your child may call you to say he or she is “feeling sick,” which signals you to come pick him or her up. You might agree to park down the street so your child can discretely get away without others knowing he or she was picked up by mom and dad.

3. Set firm curfews (10 p.m. is the legal curfew for those 15 and under in most Valley cities; an midnight is curfew for those age 16-18), and stand close to your child as he or she comes in the door. If he or she has been drinking, you’ll smell it.

4. Check the MySpace.com and Facebook.com pages of your child’s friends, as well as your son’s or daughter’s own page. Look for photos of partying, or messages posted there about drinking and upcoming weekend parties that the homeowner might not know about.

5. Get involved in safe prom and graduation parties hosted by the school, or rally a group of trusted parents to host a large, safe celebration such as “progressive party.” Consider beginning at one home with snacks or dessert, then heading to the next house for games then to a third for a midnight swim, etc.

To keep yourself and your child out of the legal fray, make sure youth understand that the legal alcohol limit for those under age 21 in Arizona is .00. It’s not the .08 limit that adults must observe when driving. Your teen can be cited as “under the influence” if he or she has ANY alcohol in their system, and a parent must accompany the child to court.

Also, make sure your adult friends know it is illegal to serve teens in their homes. Explicitly tell them, in advance of any gathering, that your child is not allowed to be served alcohol or to drink alcohol at any time.

For more tips, visit www.drawyourline.com/resources