April is Alcohol Awareness Month: "Talk. They Hear You."

Western Youth Network encourages parents and guardians to observe Alcohol Awareness Month during the month of April. Since youth are 5 times more likely to be alcohol abusers if they use before the age of 21, and drinking during adolescence has been shown to cause permanent brain damage, it is important that parents and guardians begin the conversation about alcohol early in a child's life.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), parents and caregivers play a critical role in children’s decisions to experiment with alcohol. Studies have shown that parents have a significant influence on young people’s decisions about alcohol consumption, especially when parents create supportive and nurturing environments in which their children can make their own decisions. In fact, around 80 percent of children feel that parents should have a say in whether they drink alcohol.

SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." campaign helps parents and caregivers start talking to their children early—as early as nine years old—about the dangers of alcohol. "Talk. They Hear You." aims to reduce underage drinking among youth by providing parents and caregivers with information and resources they need to start addressing the issue of alcohol with their children early. The Campaign focuses on:

• Increasing parents’ awareness of the prevalence and risk of underage drinking;

• Equipping parents with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to prevent underage drinking; and

• Increasing parents’ actions to prevent underage drinking.

If you're unsure of how to begin talking with your child, you can use SAMHSA's "Start the Talk" interactive tool to help you learn the do’s and don’ts of talking to your kids about underage drinking. Using avatars, you’ll practice bringing up the topic of alcohol with a teen; learn what questions to ask; and get ideas for keeping the conversation going long after the initial talk has ended.
 
You can learn more and utilize dozens of "Talk. They Hear You."  resources by visiting http://www.samhsa.gov/underagedrinking/