NPR’s How Parents Can Help Their Underage Kids Resist Alcohol

Educating parents about the effects of teenage drinking may be just as important as educating teens. Two recent studies found that the signals parents send about drinking behaviors will impact their children’s future alcohol usage. Setting limits and expectations, and providing a supportive home setting are important elements of delaying and preventing teen alcohol use. One study encouraged parents to discuss the dangers of drinking with their children through a home-based alcohol prevention program. The suggested program was tested and found to be successful, as third graders who received this program were much less inclined than the comparison group to drink four years later. To learn more about these studies and findings, click here.