|
Prom, graduation, and the end of the school year are here
– a time of celebration, reflection, and exciting transitions. May is
also National Youth Traffic Safety Month. All of these moments that
matter culminate as a timely opportunity to reinforce safe
driving behaviors and ways to say “NO” to risky situations,
including underage drinking and underage cannabis
use.
These moments that matter are more personal to me this
year as my daughter is a senior in high school – prom, graduation, and
senior year traditions are coming at us faster than I’d like. Now is
the time for those of us with kids in our lives to remind them how
much we care about them and emphasize that their safety is paramount.
When talking with fellow parents, we discuss how young people crave
independence but still need boundaries and parenting (more than ever!)
as they transition to college or make their next moves. What's
remarkable to many of us is this – parents or colleagues who have
older kids will make comments about what it was like for their kids,
and more often than not, alcohol was tolerated. Yet, from my
experience, that’s an outdated view. Times have changed - the data no
longer supports the concept that all kids are drinking. They’re not.
The 2024 Monitoring the Future survey results show that the
overwhelming majority of high school seniors are not drinking -
about four in five 12th graders report NOT consuming alcohol
in the past 30 days and current drinking among high seniors is down
39% over the past decade, from 35% percent in 2015 to 22% in
2024.
Parents are the #1 influence on their kids’ decisions to
drink – or not drink – alcohol, so even if your teen feels and acts
independent, remember that they look to you for guidance and support.
Parents can make a huge difference! Before heading out for prom and
graduation parties, I’ll continue to talk about the following with my
daughter:
- Boundaries, family values, and rules and expectations about
alcohol and other risky behaviors.
- Ways to say “NO” to negative peer pressure, including
underage drinking.
- Reminders about rules of the road – always wearing a
seatbelt, obeying the speed limits, and never driving drunk or
impaired or getting in the vehicle with someone who has been drinking,
or who has used another impairing substance.
- Knowing a way out if she is in a sticky situation and
emphasizing that her safety is most important. (We often talk about
how it isn’t the first bad decision that is the problem, it’s the
second one.)
Fellow parents, please remember to talk with your teens about
making calculated, mindful decisions at prom, graduation, and beyond
this year. Along with educators, community leaders, and other trusted
adults, we are making strides to eliminate underage drinking and make
our roadways safer. Let’s keep up the great work as we celebrate the
moments that matter over the next few months!
Leslie Kimball
Executive Director,
Responsibility.org
|
