As much as I praise the joy and wonders of responsible alcohol consumption at this website, there are actually a few instances where I would rather not be caught holding a beverage of the alcoholic variety. For instance, the mornings that follow the occasional over-indulgence are some of the best times I can think of not to even look at liquor. Similarly, I wouldn’t want to be caught speeding down the highway with a Mint Julep in-hand, either (this, of course, wouldn’t be very responsible at all)! However, perhaps the very worst time to have an alcoholic drink in your paws would be while handing it off to an underage drinker.

Indeed, the greatest obligations of the mature, sophisticated, and responsible drinker include protecting themselves (i.e. not drinking and driving or engaging in other activities that may endanger those around us), and most certainly, protecting young people around us who may begin to show interest in alcohol consumption before they are able to do so legally. Therefore, with recent information which suggests many alcohol advertisements actually do target teens, it seems noteworthy here to delve into the reality of teen alcohol consumption, and ways it can be prevented.

Recently, blogger Brittany Wallman at the Moms and Dads portion of the website for the South Florida Sun Sentinel shared a personal story involving her 14 year old and some friends partaking in vodka without her knowledge:

A few weekends ago, I was in bed reading a book… when I heard an ambulance, and sirens. Sounded like they were heading our way.

They were.

As it turns out, several young teens from Brittany’s neighborhood, including her son, had been at a friend’s house nearby, where no parents had been present to moderate the group’s activity. Apparently, after consuming vodka, “one of the teens passed out, several vomited.” A concerned neighbor called 911, and the children who had not partaken in the spirits (including Brittany’s son) were told that one of the kids “might not make it.” Another three were taken by ambulance to an area hospital.

This is a typical nightmare scenario for most parents, and the different ways talking to teens about drinking can be approached vary like the fish in the sea. However, the good news is that alcohol and its potential dangers, when compared with awkward subjects like “the birds and the bees”, isn’t the very worst thing to have to pow-wow with the kids about… although it may be a close second. Fortunately there is help for this; a variety of websites exist that provide resources for parents concerned with how to address such things in conversations with their children. Below are a couple of links to sites where helpful information and other tools can be accessed for just such occasions:

Alcohol Abuse Prevention Facts

Don’t Serve Teens

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information

By learning the right statistics and other valuable information about teenage drinking, you can more effectively help with keeping your children safe before they reach the legal age of consumption. Remember, talking isn’t just important, it’s imperative. The only thing worse than saying the wrong thing to your kids about alcohol is saying nothing at all.

Tags: alcohol abuse, teens