Parents Urged to Talk to Children About Alcohol Use During Graduation

It's graduation season, and that means many students will be getting ready to move on to the next chapters in their lives.

It also means that parents need to be mindful of what post-graduation festivities their children are going to be attending, and if alcohol will be present.

Shore Regional High School's prom is Tuesday, June 21 at 6 p.m. at Monmouth University and Long Branch High School's graduation is Thursday, June 16 at 5 p.m. at the school's football field. 

In preparation of these local graduations, Project DART (Developing Alcohol Responsibility Together) part of Saint Barnabas Behavioral Health Network has released some suggestions for parents of graduates:

• Talk and talk some more. “Parents may be surprised to learn that their teens really are listening when they talk to them about alcohol use,” explains Connie Greene, Vice President, IFP. “Set up a time to talk to your teen about your expectations of his/her behavior surrounding graduation and offer solid facts about the dangers of underage drinking. Thepowerofparents.org, drugfree.org and/or your teen’s school are great resources for information about the impact of alcohol on young adults.”

• Keep a calendar. Knowing where your teen is, and who he/she is celebrating with, are important parts of ensuring they are acting responsibly and spending time with those who are doing the same.

• Encourage your teen to keep in touch. In today’s technology-driven world, it is very easy to have your teen stay in touch throughout an evening when they are attending a celebration. Ask him/her to send you a text when they arrive and another when they are leaving, so you can anticipate when they will be home. “Even a quick email to keep you informed is helpful,” says Ms. Greene.