re:TH!NK Your Drink

There are lots of ways for family and friends to connect during this season-holiday parties, dinners, church, etc.  We may forget that children see the social acceptance of alcohol, and they may try their first sip of alcohol during the holidays when families and friends are together. In a recent study conducted by the Caron Treatment Centers, it was found that:

• 1 in 5 parents have blacked out at a party, and could not remember anything the next day
• 59% of the adults 21 and older were hung over after drinking too much at a holiday party
• 1 in 4 of parents admitted to drinking and driving
• Approximately 30 people die in motor vehicle crashes everyday cause by  a driver who had been drinking

Youth are highly influenced by what they see parents and other role models doing. Teens are more likely to drink if their parents are drinkers. So as a parent or a family member, what can you do to ensure that more children are not drinking during the holidays?

• BE AWARE of the role alcohol plays in your holiday get-togethers. Alcohol should not be the focus of the event. The focus of the event should be your friends and family. Always keep an open dialog about drugs and alcohol, and remind them about what can happen if they drink.
• Always keep an open dialog about drugs and alcohol, and remind them about what can happen if they drink.
• Make sure that you have a consequence your teens  know about if they drink. Examples of consequences are: your teen would lose their driving privilege for a month, or lose their phone (gasp!), or be grounded.
• If you are hosting a party at your house, keep the alcohol away from the non-alcoholic drinks. Make the non-alcoholic drinks appealing.
• Most importantly, be smart about your drinking habits. Model responsible drinking. Here are some suggestions. Show your children that you need to have a designated drive if you are going out to drink and never drink and drive. Set a drink limit, and stick to that. Pace your drinking so you do not get intoxicated. Alternate between alcohol and non-alcoholic  drinks. Drink water throughout the evening. Eat something when drinking alcohol.