Some resources for talking to your kids about alcohol and marijuana.

starttalkingnow.org

https://starttalkingnow.org/

Washington State resource for talking to kids about alcohol and marijuana.

Of the resources listed on the Lincoln High School website, this was the best. It has some really good parent resources.

I also found the Healthy Youth Survey very interesting.

• Yearly survey of washington state kids.
• Percent of 10th graders that had a any alcohol in the last month, by King county and WA state, is down from ~27% in 2010 to 7-9% in 2023.
• 12th graders is higher: 40% in 2010 down to ~18% in 2023.

Notes for family discussion

• Safety first:
  • Don’t be in a car where the driver has had any alcohol.
  • Make sure everyone gets home safe, especially women.
  • We will come and get you if you or your friends are in trouble, no questions asked.
  • Be careful in large groups with people you don’t know.
• Be honest when talking about where you are going, who you are with, and if alcohol will be served. We can talk through it.
• Tactics when alcohol is offered.
  • Ask about non-alcoholic options.
  • Just don’t drink much of it.
  • Say no.
• Erica Barnett’s book on dealing with her alcoholism suggested no more than 1 drink per hour, 2 drinks per day, and 4 in a week.
• Recent studies suggest that no amount of alcohol is good for you.
• Know how much alcohol in each drink:
  • lager beer: ~5%
  • craft beers can be much higher: 6-7%
  • wine: 12%
  • hard alcohol: 40%
• Stats:
  • 8% of 10th graders in king county said they had alcohol in the past month.
  • 17% of 12 graders in Washington STate said they had alcohol in the past month.
  • These numbers are declining.
  • 52% of adults in USA had a drink the last month.

drugfree.org

https://drugfree.org/prevention-and-early-action/

Another good resource listed by the Lincoln High School.

• Drinking alcohol isn’t “normal”.
• Many are coerced into trying it to fit in, socialize, deal with life transitions, or deal with emotional pain.
• Advice for parents (see link)

https://drugfree.org/article/teen-brain-development/

• Teens brains aren’t developed yet.
• Alcohol can feel good in the moment. Teens “have an over-active impulse to seek pleasure and less ability to consider the consequences”.

https://drugfree.org/article/healthy-risk-taking/

• Risk taking can be a good thing. It can help us figure out who we are.
• Identify “healthy risks” to take. Things that spark joy.

Playbook for Parents of Teens

• Reiterates above points (risk factors & parent tips)

USA alcohol stats

Underage alcohol stats from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

• In the past month, about 14% of underage kids had consumed alcohol
• Underage kids drink less often than adults, but when they do they’re more likely to binge drink.
• Ages 16-17: fewer than 1 in 5 reported drinking, fewer than 1 in 10 reported binge-drinking.

Alcohol stats for USA aged 18 and older from the CDC stats on alcohol use

• 52% of adults aged 18 and older at least 12 drinks in past year.
• 25% of adults 18 and older at least 1 “heave drinking day” (5 or more drinks for men, 4 for women) in the past year.