Parents, Parties, and Preventing Underage Alcohol Use

by SAMHSA

Would you let your teenage son drink beer at his best friend's birthday party? Would you let your daughter attend a graduation party where wine would be available to underage kids? What if a parent were chaperoning these events?

Kids, parties, and alcohol are never a good mix. However, in a poll by the American Medical Association, 1 in 10 parents said that it was okay for teens to attend prom or graduation parties with alcohol if a parent were present. It may come as no surprise, then, that 20 percent of 16- to 18-year-olds reported that they have attended a graduation party with underage drinking and parents present. And 15 percent of these teens had been to a graduation party where the alcohol was actually supplied by parents.

Laws in many States call for parents to be prosecuted if minors drink alcohol in their homes. But some parents still allow alcohol at their teens' parties and, in many cases, buy alcohol for the event. This group of parents is the minority. Most parents do not allow their underage children to drink and would not buy alcohol for their kids or allow it at a post-prom party or graduation event.

During the busy prom and graduation season, your teen may be invited to a party where alcohol will be available to minors. Try taking these steps to keep your child alcohol free:

1. Before the party, talk to the parents hosting the party and get all the details. Where is it? What time does it start and end? Who's invited? What activities are planned? Will there be adult supervision for teenage guests? What is the ratio of adult supervisors to teenage guests? What can I do to help? You're not being nosy! Think of it as gathering information so that you can make an informed decision.

2. Ask the parents hosting the party if alcohol will be served at the event. If it's a party with guests over and under age 21 and alcohol will be present, ask about their plans to prevent minors from drinking alcohol. If all of the guests will be under 21, ask about their plans to make sure that no one brings alcohol to the party.

3. Talk to your child about what to do if he finds himself at a party where alcohol is available to minors. Let him know that even if other teens are drinking, you expect him not to. Tell him that he should call you right away and you'll come pick him up - no matter how late it is. You may want to create a "code word" that your child can use if he wants you to come get him. He may be calling you when he's surrounded by friends, and he may be unable to tell you what's going on without a code word.

During the busy prom and graduation season, you might have to make difficult choices about what parties your kids attend. It can be hard to tell your child "no" when she wants to go to the party that "everyone" is going to. You may wonder if your rules are too tough.

It's okay to be tough when it comes to protecting your kids from underage drinking. Underage drinking is a key factor in the two leading causes of teenage deaths: car accidents and fatal injuries. It also is linked to two-thirds of all sexual assaults and date rapes of teens, and it increases the chance of contracting HIV or sexually transmitted diseases. So, go ahead, be tough on underage drinking, and be on the lookout for risky situations during end-of-the-school-year parties.

About the Author

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SAMHSA works to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, alcohol and drug addiction treatment, and mental health services. Includes links to support groups, information resources, events and articles.