The recent deaths of three Washington teens—a 14-year-old Bellingham girl, a 17-year-old boy in Shoreline, and an 18-year-old Washington State University student —remind us just how dangerous alcohol is for minors. As parents and co-chairs of the Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking our hearts go out to the families and friends who are suffering these terrible losses.
Before we lose another child, grandchild, student, and friend, let’s ask ourselves what we as adults are doing to encourage or discourage underage drinking.
Parents Matter
Parents are the No. 1 influence on their children’s decisions about alcohol. Although their friends and the media also play a role, studies consistently show that parents are the key, and kids pay attention to what they say and do. Opportunities and pressure to drink (especially during holidays and other times for celebrating) are constant in their young lives.
The most important steps parents can take are to lock up their alcohol, never provide it to minors, continue guiding healthy choices with your teens and college students, and give them the facts:
Alcohol kills more kids than tobacco and illegal drugs combined — 5,000 youth under 21 die each year from underage-drinking related injuries.