ALCOHOL

Though drinking alcohol is illegal under the age of 21, alcohol continues to be the substance most abused by American teens. By the end of high school, nearly three quarters of all students have consumed more than just a few sips of alcohol, and more than a third start drinking as early as eighth grade (National Institute of Drug Abuse). According to the Center for Disease Control 2017 statistics, 30% of teens drank alcohol and 14% confessed to binge drinking within the past 30 days.

Why is underage drinking dangerous?
BHS teens report that when they drink, they drink to get drunk, and this can often reach the level of binge drinking (four drinks for girls, five for boys, in less than two hours). Teens say this happens nearly every weekend. Underage drinking can have dangerous effects on the developing brain and also lead to risky behavior. 17% of BHS teens report that after drinking, they engaged in sexual activity they regretted afterward. Be alert for the warning signs that drinking may have become problematic enough to warrant professional help? 
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How do I talk to my teen about underage drinking?
If you know or suspect your child is using alcohol, The Partnership for a Drug Free America offers parents an online intervention ebook What to do if your child is drinking or using drugs. And here's a terrific 3 minute video for helping teens develop refusal skills.
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​The website Teen Safe is designed to foster better family communication, promote resilience and healthy activities, and reduce risky teen behaviors via true-life stories, scientific evidence, and helpful educational materials for parents and teens/pre-teens. The site offers a free 15-minute video course for parents that is quite informative about the effects of substance use on teen brain development. The section detailing the impact of early marijuana use of mental health is especially worth noting as teens continue to think marijuana is safer than alcohol. It’s only 15 minutes long, and at least one local pediatrician is asking all his patients’ parents to check it out!

​Binge Drinking
 When teens drink at a party, they typically drink to get drunk, which can lead to the perilous practice of binge drinking. Check out this short informative video on binge drinking -- 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiJnMyj-_HI

​What is the social host law?
Under Massachusetts state law, a social host is anyone (adult or minor) who is in control of the premises and who knowingly or intentionally supplies alcohol or allows it to be consumed on those premises. If a social host supplies alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, they can be fined up to $2,000, face up to a year of imprisonment, or both.

For more information on the social host law, see the following:

Additional Reading & Resources

Helpful Websites:
Guides and Downloadable Resources: