Prevention Tips & Risk Factors

 

Parents are the #1 reason why young people don’t drink

More than half of all Americans aged 12 or older report that they are current drinkers. In the latest national survey, 51.9 percent of those surveyed said they were current drinkers, or an estimated 138.5 million people. Underage drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States.

Alcohol is the most widely used substance of misuse among America’s youth. Here in Wisconsin we are above the National average for percentage of underage drinkers. Parents are the number one reason youth don’t drink, so make sure your child knows what your expectations are when it comes to drinking alcohol.

Prevention Tips

Conversations are one of the most powerful tools parents can use to connect with and use to protect their kids.

  • Keep your conversations open and honest

  • Come from a place of love, even when you’re having tough conversations

  • Balance positive reinforcement with negative reinforcement

  • Keep in mind that teachable moments come up all of the time. Be mindful of natural places for conversation to go in order to broach the topic of drugs and alcohol

  • Talk to your children about what your expectations are around their use of alcohol and illegal drugs

  • Come up with a contract for your child to sign

 

Risk factors for drug and alcohol misuse?

As parents, we don’t know what the future holds for our children when it comes to them experimenting with alcohol and/or illegal drugs. We don’t know if the first time they drink or use will set them off onto a path of addiction.

It is important to keep in mind that risk factors do not determine their future. What risk factors do provide is a general gauge as to the likelihood of alcohol or drug use. If you pay attention to these risk factors, make changes where you can, and reduce these factors, your child has a better chance at a positive outcome.

Risk factors include:

  • Family history of alcohol or drug problems can place a child at increased risk for developing a problem

  • Mental health or behavioral issues such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD put your child at more of a risk for an alcohol or drug problem

  • Traumatic events for children (witnessing a car accident, experiencing a natural disaster, being a victim of physical or sexual abuse) have been shown to possibly lead to substance misuse later in life

  • Impulse control problems — children who frequently take risks or have difficulty controlling impulses are more at risk for substance misuse problems