Teach Your Children Well

Being a parent is the toughest job ever. Kids are growing up faster and we are getting older, whether we like it or not. It's not easy to make the right decisions. We want:

our kids to like us
our kids to be liked by their peers
our kids and their friends to think we're the cool parents
our kids to be safe when drinking
our kids to enjoy their youth

And if we're really honest with ourselves, we want to recapture some of our own youth.

So it's really not surprising that a significant number of parents in our area think it's alright to either host a party at their homes or party with their kids and their friends. They think that by having the party at their place, they can prevent a potential disaster. They set up the keg, crank the music, collect the keys from all of the drivers, tell them all they can crash in the basement, and give the go-ahead. Or if they are away from home when the underage drinking is going on, they can turn a blind eye and let kids be kids.

According to a report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), nearly 6 percent of 12- to 14-year-olds (about 700,000 middle school kids) have had an alcoholic drink in the past month. Nearly 45 percent of those obtained the alcohol free at home, including 16 percent who got it from a parent or guardian.

Ultimately, the decision is yours.

Your kids are watching you closely

and will likely follow in your footsteps.

 

Consider the consequences:

Myths & Truths for Parents

“Childhood drinking is foremost a health issue. Many well-intentioned parents think that supplying alcohol for their child to drink at home may teach them how to ‘drink responsibly’ and might prevent them from drinking elsewhere. But the truth is that early consumption of alcohol in any context increases the likelihood of harmful effects in the long run. What’s more, studies have shown that when parents supply alcohol to their kids, it actually increases the risk for continued consumption during childhood and lifetime problem drinking. Drinking in the home does not prevent children from drinking outside the home or with their friends.”

 

– Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

Unfortunately, many parents subscribe to common myths and misperceptions related to underage drinking:

Myth:

Some parents think that providing alcohol to teens at home
decreases the risk for continued drinking as teens get older,
and subsequent drinking problems later in life.

Truth:

The opposite is true – parents should be aware that supplying alcohol to minors
actually increases, rather than decreases the risk for continued drinking
in the teenage years and leads to subsequent problem drinking later in life.

Myth:

Young people from European cultures whose parents give them alcohol at an early age
learn to drink more responsibly than their American counterparts.

Truth:

A greater percentage of European youth report drinking regularly (in the past 30 days)
versus American youth, and for a majority of European countries,
a greater percentage of young people report having been intoxicated before the age of 13
than is the case in the U.S. The World Health Organization cites global longitudinal studies
 that found the earlier young people start drinking,
the more likely they are to experience alcohol-related injury and alcohol dependence later in life.

Myth:

Some parents believe that being ‘too strict’ about adolescent drinking during high school
will cause teens to drink more when they first leave the home
and do not have as much parental oversight. 

Truth:

New research from The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) reveals that teens
who perceive their parents to be more permissive about alcohol use
are MORE likely to abuse alcohol and to use other drugs.

Myth:

Parents who serve alcohol to teenagers at home are under no legal jeopardy.

Truth:

A majority of states have civil and or criminal penalties for adults
who serve alcohol to underage kids at home.

Underage drinking continues to be a pervasive problem

among American youth. According to the latest

Monitoring The Future study of 8^th, 10^th and 12^th graders:

 

• Nearly half of teens (44 percent) have consumed alcohol within the past year, while more than one in four teens (26 percent) reports having been drunk in the past year.

• More than a quarter of teens (26 percent) said they had consumed alcohol within the past month, while more than one in seven (15 percent) reported being drunk in the past month.

• One in seven teens (14 percent) said they have had five or more drinks in a row within the past 2 weeks.

• More than three-quarters of 10^th graders (78 percent) say it is fairly or very easy to get alcohol if they want some and more than half of 8^th graders (58 percent) say the same.

- Information from The Partnership at Drugfree.org

Consequences of Social Hosting

Social Hosting is a BUST!

 

 

Parents:

Did you know

that if underage drinking is taking place at your home,

even if you are NOT there,

even if you did not provide the alcohol,

you could be held responsible?

 

 

Can YOU Afford It???

 

Think You're Keeping Kids Safe? Think Again.

 

Everyone knows that the legal drinking age is 21 in every state and in the District of Columbia. Parents find themselves in an interesting place with this, since the legal drinking age was 18 back in their day. Some think, "Hey, it was fine for us to party and we're all still here." Others adamantly believe in following the letter of the law to protect their children. And others are right in the middle, "As long as my child drinks responsibly under my roof with my supervision, it's acceptable."

"In many cases, parents do this under the false assumption that they are protecting their kids," said Robert Lindsey, Director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. "They make the assumption that they won't drink elsewhere and that's not true."

Marking the end of another school year, the parties are amping up - Memorial Day Weekend, graduations, Fourth of July, and more. If you are hosting a party for your underage child and their friends, please consider the following:

1. It is illegal in the state of Maryland to provide alcohol to minors, whether it is in your home or elsewhere. It is a criminal offense which can result in probation, heavy fines, jail time, and you can be sued for damages.

Maryland's Social Host Law: It is a violation of the law to knowingly and willfully allow possession or consumption of an alcoholic beverage by an underage person in a residence and the area around a residence.

Adults who are charged with this violation face graduated sentences. The first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $2,500. Second and subsequent offenses are misdemeanors punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000.  (Maryland Criminal Law Code Annotated Section 10-121).

2. You could be held responsible if one of the party attendees gets into a drunk driving accident after consuming alcohol at your home / on your property.

3. You could be held responsible if violence results after minors have consumed alcohol at your home /on your property.

4. Your job, security clearance, or professional license could be compromised.

Please consider the possible consequences.

Your kids may not think you're cool now,

but they will one day.