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False Assumptions Parents sometimes hesitate to impose rules against underage drinking or even to discuss drinking with their kids. Maybe they aren’t sure where to start, or they assume their child is not at risk.
Parents Might Assume It’s too early. My kid is not interested in drinking. Read The Facts According to data from a Monitoring the Future national survey, about 18% of kids try alcohol before graduating from 8th grade.
Parents Might Assume
Parents Might Assume
My child’s friends are good kids who do not drink alcohol.
At this point, my kid knows better.
Read The Facts About 11% of 8th graders have drunk alcohol in the past 30 days.
Read The Facts
Unfortunately, the reality is that many young people are uninformed about how dangerous a substance like alcohol can be.
Parents Might Assume
Parents Might Assume
We have our kids involved in sports. This keeps them off the streets.
My child has learned about the negative effects of alcohol in school.
Read The Facts
Read The Facts
Research shows that involvement in sports shifts from being protective when children are very young to a high-risk factor as they get older. Do not assume that because your kids participate in sports or other organized activities that they will not be exposed to pressures to drink alcohol.
Although most kids do learn about alcohol in their health classes, research shows that many important issues never get covered. School programs alone are not enough to stop youth from drinking.
Teens who binge drink say: • They don’t believe drinking makes you sick or has bad effects. • They are bored and there is nothing else to do but drink. • They expect drinking to have benefits, such as improved socializing. • “It can’t be that bad if everyone is doing it,” and “My friends won’t think I’m cool if I don’t drink.” Youth Make Assumptions, Too
Parent Tip: Keep conversations open and fact-based. Do: Acknowledge their feelings and explore facts together. Don’t: Dismiss their thoughts or shut down the conversation.
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