According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rates of high schoolers drinking alcohol is high – higher than you might expect. According to the survey in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (59, 39, 1274-9), 42% have had at least one alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days. Yikes, that pretty high. If you’re a parent, do you think that your high school child might be one of those?
Here’s what’s most disturbing about the study: the rate of binge drinking among high schoolers. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks within a two-hour period in the past 30 days. According to the survey, 24% of high schoolers binge drink. For parents, this must be a major concern.
There are countless reasons why parents don’t want their high school children to drink alcohol- they’re so obvious that we don’t need to review them here. Yet parents must be sure to address the issue with their children. One of the best things that a parent can do is to make themselves available in the case that their child is ever in a social situation in which drinking or drug use is going on, and their child feels uncomfortable. Be sure to let your child know that he or she can call you anytime and that you will come to pick him or her up.
In such situations, it’s important for parents to remember to be allies – rather than punitive parents – because coming down on your children too hard can actually cause them to act out even more!
PLUS: In Dr. Seth's new book, Dr. Seth's Love Prescription (available at Amazon.com or in stores at Borders and Barnes and Noble), he shows you how to stop repeating bad patterns in your romantic relationships. If you or someone you know keeps going for the wrong types of people and seems stuck in this vicious cycle, pick up a copy of Dr. Seth's Love Prescription today.
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