We all know that raising a teenager is hard and that we would do anything to raise them right, for some this means keeping the party at home. There is a long-held belief that underage drinking is an inevitability and that regardless of what we do, teens will try alcohol before the legal age. Some say that parents might as well be in control of that consumption by allowing teens to drink in their home, however research says something very different.

Is teen drinking really an inevitability? The simple answer is no. The 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 19% of people ages 12–20 are current alcohol users. This tells us that while underage drinking is a national concern, it is not an inevitability and it shouldn't be treated as such.

So, should you allow alcohol in your home? Again, the simple answer remains no. A recent study published in The Lancet Public Health found that there is no benefit to parents supplying alcohol to teens. This study followed a group of teens in Australia for six years to determine prospective risk associated with teens whose alcohol supply came from home versus teens whose alcohol came from another supply, or no supply at all. According to the findings, parental supply was associated with higher rates of binge drinking, more alcohol-related harm, and increased symptoms of alcohol use disorder. While alcohol sourced from outside of the home was found to be associated with the same risks, the combination of receiving alcohol from parents and from other sources did not decrease risk. The study concluded, “there is no rationale for parents to give alcohol to adolescents younger than the legal purchase age. ...Parental supply only remains associated with adverse adolescent drinking outcomes.”

It is a nice thought to keep your teens safe at home, however if alcohol is involved, you may be doing more harm than good. As parents, investigate the claims you hear and stand against peer pressure telling you to bring the party home. As community leaders and advocates, spread factual knowledge and best practices to keep teens safe as they go through these impressionable years. The future of our teens looks bright as underage drinking rates have been decreasing through the years. Continue to work for a safe future by prohibiting underage drinking in your home.

We work so hard to protect our youth from the damaging effects of underage alcohol consumption, however we often lose sight of how early the risk begins. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Month is here to remind us all that the risk begins before a child is even born.

It is a common rule-of-thumb to not drink during pregnancy, but many people do not know about the risks and effects of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). FASDs are a group of conditions that occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. FASDs cause a range of issues including hyperactivity, learning disabilities, speech and language delays, problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones, and others. According to Bonnie Shuman, an advocate for Ohio families and an adoptive mother of a son with FASD, “The important thing to know about FASD is there’s no safe amount of alcohol to drink. And it’s 100 percent preventable.”

Bonnie successfully advocated for the successful introduction of Senate Bill 340 in Ohio, which would create a warning about FASDs at the point of sale for alcohol products. Read more about Bonnie’s remarkable story and join her fight to raise awareness during the month of September.

And if you want to raise awareness about FASDs, Aubrey Page, of FASDaware LLC, created a a ready-to-use social media kit to ensure that everyone is #FASDaware. 

The Parents Who Host campaign can be seen around many communities in the form of yard signs and banners. While these are effective measures for spreading the campaign's critical message, did you know that the campaign also has social media resources ready to use?

In 2020, we revitalized the Parents Who Host member center to bring your campaign into the modern age. The new member center equips you with social media graphics that have been optimized for Facebook and Twitter, social media tips, a digital implementation guidebook, press engagement tools, advocacy resources, and more.

Give your campaign a fresh face by checking out the revitalized member center today! If you have any questions on the campaign or the member center, email us at [email protected].

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Parents Who Host Lose The Most is a program of Prevention Action Alliance.

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