What should I do to prevent my teen from drinking alcohol?

Teen drinking is growing and increasing like an epidemic. You, as a parent, can do things to prevent your child from being a victim of this epidemic. Here are certain steps from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University:

• Set expectations and rules that would enforce certain consequences

• Know and keep in touch with your children’s friends and know where they are going to go.

• Send clear and strict messages about alcohol use.

• Negative consequences about drinking should be discussed

• Don’t tell your drink that a drink relaxes.

• Underage drinking as a rite of passages should not be accepted.

• Make sure that your child knows what drinking can do to the human body and the health hazard it brings

• Make sure that you know what your child thinks about drinking.

• Be sure that your children’s friends don’t drink, and even if they do, teach your child how to say no.

• Tell your child what to do in case one of his or her friends drinks too much and ends up driving.

• Explain to your child thoroughly so that he won’t be confused.

• Bring up some statistics or examples of how there were many accidents because of reckless teen driving.

• Make sure that your child makes a promise or some sort of compromise that will tell you that he or she won’t be drinking

• Be absolutely sure about where your child is going

• Make sure that you do or do not approve of the place your child wants to go with his or her friends

• Always make sure that your child is telling you the truth

• Make sure that your child gained the trust and is responsible enough to go out with friends alone and on a car