Parents, you are doing a great job. Keep it up.
Although these past two years might have seemed especially challenging, there is good news to celebrate relating to the conversations kids and parents are having about underage drinking and alcohol.
THEY WORK.
Recent data shows that the conversations that parents are having with the kids about alcohol have increased. Compared to levels from 2003, more kids and teenagers report talking to their parents about underage drinking in the past year. This means more parents around the country are engaging in these conversations and keeping these conversations going. This is especially important since parents have been found to be the leading influence on kids’ decisions about drinking (and NOT drinking)– even more than their friends and peers.
Parents are the #1 influence.
The other good news is that the increases in conversations about the dangers of alcohol have coincided with decreases in underage drinking during the same period. The number of 8th graders consuming alcohol has decreased by 44% and the number engaging in binge drinking has decreased by 54%. Similarly, the data also shows decreases in alcohol consumption for 10th and 12th graders. Let’s keep these trends going strong by continuing to talk to kids about ways to say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking.
The team at Ask, Listen, Learn is proud of all the parents who have had these conservations about drinking and have contributed to these decreases in underage drinking. If you haven’t talked to your kids yet, there is no better time than now. We want to keep these conversations going so we can continue to build on the progress we’ve made together. You are essential to these efforts, and we want to make it easy for you as you do this. We encourage you to continue to talk with your kids about the dangers of underage drinking and use the parent resources found on the Ask, Listen Learn website. We hope that we can help you in your efforts to inspire your kids to remain substance-free. Keep up the good work!