BEST PRACTICES

Regulatory Strategies for Preventing Youth Access to Alcohol: Best Practices

People who care about young people are aware of the serious problems caused
by underage alcohol use. They should also be aware that there are many effective
strategies for reducing underage drinking. Every State and community
should be using these strategies. READ MORE

 

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Strategies To Reduce Underage Alcohol Use:
Typology and Brief Overview

This guide updates the original one published in September 1999. It discusses
the effectiveness of minimum legal drinking age laws and provides a
conceptual framework for understanding the array of strategies available to
prevent underage alcohol use. It also provides a simple assessment of the
level of effectiveness that might be expected from each strategy based on
existing research and evaluation.

The document also provides links to other Underage Drinking Enforcement
Training Center (UDETC) resources that provide more detailed guidance
for selecting and carrying out strategies. Most of these resources can be
found at www.udetc.org. READ MORE

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Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Program

What is the EUDL program?
OJJDP’s EUDL program supports and enhances efforts by States and local jurisdictions to reduce the availability of alcohol to minors. The program encourages close partnerships between law enforcement agencies and community
groups involved in preventing and intervening in underage drinking. OJJDP also offers comprehensive training and technical assistance to guide States and communities in their efforts. The EUDL initiative is the only Federal program devoted exclusively to preventing alcohol consumption by minors. READ MORE

 

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NEW STUDY: PARENTAL CONSEQUENCES SIGNIFICANTLY DETER
DANGEROUS DRIVING BEHAVIORS IN TEENS

Study finds that parents can profoundly impact a teen’s decision to drink,
drug and drive or engage in other risky driving behaviors, particularly
among boys
BOSTON (September 19, 2006) – One in five teens is still drinking and driving, and one in nearly eight teens is still using marijuana and driving. That’s according to the seventh annual Teens Today driving study just released by Liberty Mutual and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). But parents who set clear consequences – and follow through on them – significantly reduce the likelihood that their teen will engage in these and other unsafe behaviors behind the wheel.
These driving results are part of Teens Today, an annual multi-part research study that reports on teens’ behaviors, attitudes, and decision-making about issues such as driving, drinking, drug use, sexual activity, and family/peer relationships. Overall, 19 percent of teens report driving under the influence of alcohol, 15 percent report driving under the influence of marijuana, and 7 percent report driving under the influence of "other drugs." But teens say parents who set expectations with clear consequences for them about breaking the law while driving are less likely to have driven under the influence of alcohol (16
percent vs. 29 percent), marijuana (14 percent vs. 18 percent), or other drugs (6 percent vs. 11 percent) than are teens whose parents do not set any consequences.

READ MORE

 

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Start Talking Before They Start Drinking

You Are the Most Powerful Influence on Your Child’s Behavior

Underage drinking can have serious consequences. You can protect your children from the risks associated with drinking by maintaining open communication and expressing a clear, consistent message about alcohol. Building a close relationship with your kids will encourage them to come to you for help in making decisions that impact their health and well-being. This guide provides facts and practical advice on how to talk with your children about underage drinking. It helps you create household rules to support your values. Society gives children mixed messages about alcohol. Make sure that your children get their information from the best resource available — you.

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Navigating The Teen Years

A Parent’s Handbook for Raising Healthy Teens

If you have a teenager in your life, you’ve probably done your share of worrying about the potential risks out there. Alcohol, tobacco or illicit drug use. Dangerous driving. Sexual activity. Maybe even the pressures of school, sports or fitting in. You’ve probably also worried that you’re no longer the most influential force in your child’s life. Teens are facing a host of intense challenges and changes in their lives, and like to act as if they alone can deal with them. But the reality is that teens need (and secretly want) your help and guidance. In fact, now that you have a teenager, your job as a parent isn’t done, it’s just different. READ MORE

 

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How to Hold Crucial Conversations about Drugs with Your Teenager

Here are some specific skills parents can implement when tackling the topic of drug use with their teens:

Keep Your Best Motives in Mind. When we feel upset, we become angry or fearful, and as a result our motives change. Without realizing it, we begin to focus on punishing, being right, or keeping the peace rather than healthy problem solving. Before talking to your teenager about drugs, pause for a moment and ask the focusing question: What do I really want? This pause can help you get your motives in check and move from simply “keeping the peace” through silence to being a powerful influence on your teen.

Confront with Facts, Not Judgments. When you present the facts, you obligate your teen to respond to the information. When you use judgments or accusatory language, it appears you intend simply to humiliate or punish, and your teen feels no obligation to engage in the conversation. Replace, “You’re a liar, and I won’t stand for this,” with “Over the past week I’ve noticed alcohol missing from the garage refrigerator. Your dad and I haven’t moved it or drunk it. I just looked there
a few days ago, so it must have disappeared recently. As far as I know you are the only one who has been at home.” READ MORE