The PARENT COMMITTED campaign is about providing support to parents and families with teenagers. This campaign urges parents to renew their commitment as a parent and support their child through their journey into adulthood—when they are discovering and defining who they are. The greatest influence on a young person’s decision to drink alcohol is the world they live in. The number one protective factor against youth alcohol abuse is a strong parent-child relationship—a PARENT COMMITTED.

It is time to stop accepting teen drinking as a rite of passage and to understand the threat it poses to healthy development. Parents play a vital role in replacing pro-alcohol messages with clear messages urging young people not to drink!

• Today, nearly 10.8 million youth, ages 12-20, are underage drinkers.
• 73% of young people in Butte County report drinking alcohol.

It takes a Community COMMITTED to eliminate underage drinking!
 

Notice

Be aware of the facts

Alcohol use by young people is most often made possible by adults buying it, providing it or allowing it to be consumed in their homes.

What’s Up in Butte County?


• 72% of Butte County 11th graders report drinking alcohol.

• 79% of Butte County 11th graders report that it is easy to access or obtain alcohol.

• 45.5% of Butte County young people report that they most often see other young people drinking alcohol at parties in homes.

• Butte County youth report that of young people they know who drink in homes (their own or someone elses), 17.8% of their parents/guardians are usually at home. Of those parents or guardians, 22.1% usually know that young people are drinking alcohol.

• Approximately 50% of young people report that the main reason they drink alcohol is because they want to have fun.

• Of Butte County young people who drink, 83.5% report that their parents/guardians know that they drink. Of those parents/guardians, only 27% disapprove of their drinking a lot.

• Butte County young people reported that 63% of the adults in their community do not step in to stop them from drinking.


The PARENT COMMITTED campaign is about providing support to parents and families with teenagers. This campaign urges parents to renew their commitment as a parent and support their child through their journey into adulthood—when they are discovering and defining who they are.

Choose

Make the best choice for your family

Do you feel a little overwhelmed by today’s teen culture, including what’s happening on the Web? Choose to be involved and aware of the information your child is navigating and experiencing.


Some of the hottest music teens listen to today is about drug use and other risky behaviors. Which songs/artists does your teen listen to? How often are they referring to drugs and alcohol? Check out the music lyrics that are streaming into teen’s headphones by visiting this website: www.music.yahoo.com/lyrics.


Learn more about what teen text messages really mean, as well as lots of other teen topics by going online to www.theantidrug.com. You’ll find information on every aspect of today’s teenagers. Ask your teen what they know about some of the most popular online searches.


Ask your teen to show you the photos he/she has taken with his/her cell phone, or view the music and videos he/she has downloaded onto their iPod (or MP3). Go to the “25 Most Played” list. Is there anything you are surprised by and should talk about?


Visit social networking sites like MySpace.com and browse the profiles of teens who are your child’s age to see what they say, what their interests are and what they are doing online.


Choose to Eat Together

• Parents who frequently eat with their children are much more involved in their kids’ lives.

• Parents who have frequent family dinners are more likely to say they know the parents of their teen’s closest friends, know the names of their teen’s teachers and believe they have a good relationship with their teen.

• 58% of teens report having dinner with their family at least five times a week.

• The top three reasons given for not having more frequent dinners were that parents work late, are too busy and that family members have conflicting schedules.


Bottom Line: Make It Your Choice


Do not let other parents choose when your child will drink alcohol. If the parent community does not unite to eliminate underage drinking, the result may be that other parents will choose to buy alcohol, serve alcohol or allow underage drinking in their homes.


The goal of this program is to reduce underage drinking and youth access to alcohol by increasing support to parents and families with teens.