Early Drinking Can Mean Problems Later in Life

Having Trouble Talking to Your Child About Underage Drinking?

By BuddyT

With their children getting older, but still too young to drink legally, some parents have trouble talking with their kids about the dangers of underage drinking because they don't know what to say. Some may even feel hypocritical for insisting their children not drink while they consume alcohol themselves.

And, sometimes is just hard for parents or guardians to start a conversation about a difficult subject.

Fortunately, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has five publications available to help parents and guardians focus their efforts to prevent underage drinking.

Here are the title and descriptions of those publications:

After High School: Talking With Your Young Adult About Underage Drinking
This fact sheet is to inform parents how to effectively talk to their young adult about the risks of underage drinking.

Be Prepared to Have the Difficult Conversation
This data visualization illustrates the correlation between alcohol use and other substance use to inform parents/guardians and communities.

Take Action to Prevent Underage Alcohol Use
This data visualization illustrates the steady decline of alcohol use amongst adolescents, informing parents/guardians and communities that taking action against underage drinking is effective.

Getting Ahead of a Problem
This data visualization illustrates the drinking habits of adolescents to inform parents/guardians and communities.

Prevent Unsafe Drinking Behaviors on Campus
This data visualization illustrates heavy alcohol use and binge drinking statistics amongst college age youth to inform colleges and communities.

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking." Publications and Degital Products March 2021.

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