Using alcohol to cope with life can be devastating:

• Sexually active teens who binge drink are three times less likely to use condoms.

• Alcohol is involved in one- to two-thirds of sexual assault and date rape cases among teens and college students.

• It is a major factor in the three leading causes of death for 15- to 24-year olds - automobile crashes, homicides, and suicides.

• Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, and it can be fatally toxic at high levels.

• Alcohol kills 6.5 times more youths than all other illicit drugs combined.

Is It Safer to Allow Your Teens to Drink at Home?

A conversation with Glynn Birch, president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)

A controversy rages about what may be an impossible decision. If you can't be completely sure that your teen will refrain from drinking, should you consider allowing drinking if it's ONLY at home? ParentingTeensOnline discusses this important issue with Glynn Birch:

PTO: We understand that a 2004 study in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that teens whose parents held "drinking parties" at home for them were twice as likely to binge as teens whose parents forbid them liquor in the house.

GB: If you allow your children to drink at home, they will think they can do this in someone else's home too. Parents have to be responsible. If they're serving alcohol at home, they have to realize that they are subject to the law. MADD believes you have to follow the law and wait until legal drinking age, which is 21.

PTO: Do you feel parents can drink in moderation and still be good role models for their children?

GB: I do. But if they're having a party with friends over, they can't overindulge - they shouldn't anyway, for their own health. But they must be responsible hosts, and think safety first. Kids should NOT participate - and we have to be firm about that. They look to us to help them with decision-making. They just have to wait.

PTO: The 2004 study found that teens who drink WITH their parents were half as likely to have had a drink in the last month and one-third as likely to binge as those who didn't. Having their parents present seemed to put on the brakes.

GB: It doesn't make sense to let kids experiment with alcohol at home, because there are longterm health and safety consequences. The earlier the child begins drinking (and it's not unusual to start at 12 or 13 these days), the more dependent they may be on alcohol throughout their lives.

PTO: Do you think parents should offer kids a reward if they abstain from drinking? There are families who offer their children cars and trips if they manage to stay away from drinking until 21.

GB: Well, I'd say their hearts are in the right place. But would you give someone a present because he didn't rob a 7/11? Keeping to the letter of the law shouldn't be rewarded. It's just something you need to do every day.

MADD Programs for Teens

Youth In Action
Help MADD

Because of its long time commitment to the work of law enforcement, MADD designed Youth in Action, a program that trains young people to assist the enforcement community in the difficult work of stopping underage drinking. Across the nation, teens are volunteering to assist with Compliance Checks, organizing Alcohol Purchase Surveys to help identify the need for increased enforcement and conducting Roll Call Briefings to encourage police officers to enforce underage drinking related laws. Youth In Action also encourages teens to support the work of enforcement by participating in recognition events to ensure that the work of the enforcement officials does not go unnoticed in their communities.

AlcoholEdu® for High School

AlcoholEdu for High School is a Web-based course that incorporates proven prevention techniques with essential science-based alcohol education. Developed by leading prevention experts at Outside The Classroom in conjunction with MADD. This interactive program helps kids to change attitudes and behavior, and helps support healthy decision-making.

Get MADD at School

Your teen's school can use MADD's multimedia resources in assemblies, classes, and special events. With both assembly and
classroom resources available for every age group, MADD uses the
latest in DVD technology, relevant music, blockbuster movie clips, celebrity interviews, and more to impart important safety messaging to 1 million students each school year. MADD is a not-for-profit organization with approximately 600 entities nationwide and 2 million members and supporters. For more information, visit MADD's Web site or call 1-800-GET -MADD.

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Issue: October 2007