Maine parents of high school students appear to underestimate their teen’s alcohol use as well as the amount they drink. Recently released survey results of the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS) and a corresponding parent phone survey show a large gap between what parents believe about their teen’s alcohol use and what teens report. Community Voices is joining forces with the Maine Office of Substance Abuse to raise parental awareness about the realities of underage drinking and to provide them with back to school tips and tools to help keep their kids safe.
In the statewide phone survey of Maine parents, only 26 percent believed their high school age child had ever had more than a few sips of alcohol, and less than 2 percent believed their child had engaged in binge drinking. However, according to the recently released MIYHS results, 65 percent of Maine high school teens said they have had at least one alcoholic drink, and more than 20 percent say they have had more than 5 drinks in a row, defined as binge drinking. Community Voices and the Maine Office of Substance Abuse, a division of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, aims to inform parents of the extent of teen alcohol use.
Community Voices and OSA offer five simple, time-proven tips for preventing teen alcohol use through increased parental monitoring.
• Limit your teen’s access to alcohol. Keep track of what and how much you have in your home, and keep it where it’s not accessible to teens.
• Network with other parents. Get to know your teen’s friends and their parents and let them know where you stand on underage alcohol use.
• Enforce your rules consistently. Make sure your teen understands your rules and the consequences if they are broken.
Check in often with your teen. Be sure you know how to reach them. Ask them where they’re going, if anyone will have alcohol, and if adults will be present.
• Be up and ready when your teen comes home. Ask them about their night and be prepared for what you will say or do if you discover they’ve been drinking.
Parental monitoring is critical in preventing underage alcohol use. In fact, high school students who don’t believe they would be caught by their parents are three times as likely to drink alcohol.
In addition to the misperceptions of the actual number of teens using alcohol, there are also misperceptions about the damage that alcohol can cause to the developing brain and the extent to which individuals can be held accountable for an alcohol infraction with the law.
In November, national speaker, Victor De Noble, PhD., a scientist and brain expert, along with Frank Lyons, law enforcement veteran and expert on Maine Liquor Law, will be in Fort Kent to speak upon the ramifications of substance use on the brain and violating the law, respectively. Coalition member and Chemical Health Educator and Counselor for SAD 27 Tammy Bernier states, “We are excited to be able to have these experts speak in our community and educate adults about both the medical and legal consequences of underage use.”
More information on this event will be forthcoming.
For detailed tips and information about how to prevent underage drinking, call Community Voices at 834-5540 ext. 2019, visit www.mainparents.net, or contact OSA toll free at 1-800-499-0027.
