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Holiday Safety
Happy Holiday Season! What a great time where we all gather with friends and loved ones to celebrate and spend some much-needed time together. With this comes games, movies, eating and exchanging of gifts. Among these gifts may be alcohol—which is among the most used drugs, and plays a large role in societies and cultures around the world. Alcohol misuse can also contribute to a lasting impact, which can even be felt throughout our local community and may even impact someone you know and love.
This Holiday Season, ensure that you are planning ahead and thinking about others around you when traveling to get-togethers and events. When it comes to driving under the influence, it affects more than just the driver. According to the United States Department of Transportation, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes every day. These are preventable deaths. Among some of these crashes are licensed drivers who are under the influence and under the age to consume alcohol.
Parents and Guardians—it is especially important to ensure that youth under the age of 21, do not consume alcohol. This is largely due to the fact that their brains are not fully developed and research shows that early initiation of alcohol use leads to unsafe and alcohol-related behaviors, such as: drinking and driving, unsafe sexual behavior, and other substance use.
The 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted by the CDC, found that among U.S. high school students, during the past 30 days…
- 23% drank alcohol.
- 11% binge drank.
- 5% of drivers drove after drinking alcohol.
- 14% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.
However; know that there are ways to ensure your child is safe! According to the NIAAA the best way to influence your child(ren) to avoid drinking is to have a strong, trusting relationship with them. A few tips for protecting the young people in your life from alcohol misuse include:
- Not purchasing alcohol for minors.
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Establish open communication. Make it easy for your teen to talk honestly with you.
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Show you care. Even though young teens may not always show it, they still need to know that they are important to their parents/guardians. Make it a point to regularly spend one-on-one time with your child.
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Draw the Line. Set clear, realistic expectations for your child’s behavior.
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Offer acceptance. Make sure your teens know that you appreciate his or her efforts as well as accomplishments. Avoid hurtful teasing or criticism.
From all of us at the Gratiot Substance and Suicide Prevention Program and our Coalition members, we want to wish you a happy and SAFE Holiday Season.
If you would like to learn more, please contact us at (989) 463-1422 or visit gratiotdrugfree.org. And if you wish to get involved, please join us on the second Monday of each month at 1:00pm at Child Advocacy to truly make a difference in our community!
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