Alcohol

Alcohol

What We Know

  • Alcohol is the most commonly misused substance among teens.
  • Alcohol use permanently changes the teen brain by slowing down brain activity and development.
  • Alcohol interferes with storing new information. Drinking alcohol after studying keeps information from being stored in long-term memory.
  • Early alcohol use increases the chance of adult substance use disorder by as much as 40%. The more alcohol you drink and the earlier you begin drinking, the higher your cancer risk, too.
  • Student athletes who drink have poorer sports performance which includes more injuries, slower reaction times and reduced endurance.

How We Can Help

  • Talk to your youth often about your expectations for not using alcohol or other substances. Make sure they have the facts.
     
  • Get to know the parents/guardians of your teen’s friends and work together to keep everyone safe.
     
  • Be the safe gathering house for your youth and their friends where they can have substance-free fun. Be home, visible and available. Drop in with snacks and alcohol-free beverages several times throughout the gathering.
     
  • Set a good example. Have family celebrations and gatherings that don’t emphasize alcohol. Remember that youth are learning from your example. You can check your alcohol use using this simple, anonymous online tool from the CDC.
     
  • Give your teens a special code or phrase to call or text to you if they find themselves in an uncomfortable situation.
     
  • If you are concerned about your youth or their friends accessing alcohol in your home, the Sun Prairie Wellness Coalition has refrigerator locks, bottle locks, or tamper resistant tape available at no charge. Contact us using the Request for Resources form.

Resource

Al-Anon, AA and Ala-Teen meetings are available both in person and virtually around the Dane County area. Email alanonmadisonwi@gmail.com or call 608-258-0314 for the most current information, or visit https://sites.google.com.

  • By Your Side

    Keeping kids safe from underage use of alcohol and other drugs is a concern for parents. In this public service announcement from SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." parent-focused national media campaign, we follow the growth of one family's daughter, and witness the outcomes of talking to children early and often about substance use. For more information about talking with your kids about underage use of alcohol and other drugs, visit underagedrinking.samhsa.gov.

  • Choices

    Keeping kids safe from underage use of alcohol and other drugs is a concern for parents. Take a look at the outcomes of effective communication with your child in this public service announcement from SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." parent-focused national media campaign. For more information about talking with your kids about underage use of alcohol and other drugs, visit underagedrinking.samhsa.gov.

  • Reminiscing

    Actress Torrey DeVitto and her father, musician Liberty DeVitto, talk about the importance of parents having small conversations with their children about underage drinking and the use of other drugs. For more information about talking with your kids about underage use of alcohol and other drugs, visit underagedrinking.samhsa.gov.

  • We Do Hear You

    Even though it might not seem like it, your kids really do hear you when you talk to them about alcohol and other substances. Parents are encouraged to talk with their children early on and frequently in this public service announcement from SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." parent-focused national media campaign. For more information about talking with your kids about underage use of alcohol and other drugs, visit underagedrinking.samhsa.gov.

  • Dads

    "The newest PSA for SAMHSA's Talk. They Hear You. is set on a school basketball court where 12- to 13-year old boys are playing a Saturday morning game. The parents (Bill and Diane), arrive after the game is underway, and sit down with other parents in the stands. Each parent is engaged in conversation with other parents as the two Dads (Bill and Rick) engage in a discussion that leads to Bill's recognition that he needs to talk with his own son about alcohol use."

  • Hora de Cenar (In Spanish)

  • Alcohol and Your Brain

    Take a rollercoaster ride through the brain to learn about alcohol's harmful effects on five different brain structures.