Teen drinking is not inevitable. More than 58% of high school seniors do not drink alcohol, reducing their current risk of injury.
One way to prevent teens from drinking is to cut off easy access to alcohol. Unfortunately, right now most teens report that it is easy to get alcohol. Almost 72% of teens who drink get alcohol without having to pay for it. They get it from friends or family members, at parties, or by taking it without permission. Underage drinkers who pay for alcohol usually give money to someone else to buy it.
Here’s what you can do to reduce easy access to alcohol:
At home
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Make sure teens can't access alcohol without your knowledge. Unmonitored alcohol, including alcohol stored in a cabinet, basement or garage, can be a temptation. When in doubt, lock it up.
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Exercise your influence. Data shows that teens continue to care what their parents think, even while they are in high school and college. Let your teen know that you don’t want them to drink and that most teens in fact don’t drink.
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Talk to your kids about how to say no to a drink. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism suggests these responses:
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No, thanks.
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I don't feel like it. Do you have any soda?
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Alcohol's not my thing.
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Are you talking to me? Forget it.
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You're pressuring me. I said no.
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Please back off.
It may have happened already. A neighbor announces she is hosting a teen party, but you shouldn't worry — she's taking the car keys from every kid who comes in. Or a colleague says he's serving alcohol to his high school son's friends so they can “learn to drink responsibly.”
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Speak out, because silence can be misinterpreted. If you hear about a situation, say that you don’t want other people serving alcohol to your teen or condoning teen drinking. Let your friends, neighbors, and family members know that the minimum drinking age is a policy that protects teens, and that you don’t want your teen to drink.
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Take action before a situation arises. Start talking to the parents of your teen's friends early — for example, when your kid is in 6th grade. Tell them about the risks of teen drinking and let them know that you don’t want anyone to allow your teen to drink alcohol.
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Remind your friends that in California, hosting a party where alcohol is available to minors is illegal.
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California Civil Code Section 1714(d)(1), which defines the social host exception, states: Nothing in subdivision (c) shall preclude a claim against a parent, guardian, or another adult who knowingly furnishes alcoholic beverages at his or her residence to a person who he or she knows, or should have known, to be under 21 years of age, in which case, notwithstanding subdivision (b), the furnishing of the alcoholic beverage may be found to be the proximate cause of resulting injuries or death.
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A claim under California Civil Code Section 1714(d)(1) may be brought by, or on behalf of, the person under 21 years of age or by a person who was harmed by the person under 21 years of age. In other words, adults can be held liable for injuries caused by their underage guests.
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Furnishing of alcohol is a broad standard. To “furnish” alcohol is to make it available. This broad definition imputes liability to a social host who makes their alcohol available in any capacity. This includes an unlocked liquor cabinet, unsecured beer keg, or refrigerator.
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Talk to adults who host teen parties. Let them know that the overwhelming majority of parents support the legal drinking age and agree that it is not okay to serve alcohol to someone else's teen — and not okay to turn a blind eye to teens' alcohol consumption.
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Let local law enforcement know that you encourage active policing of noisy teen parties that may signal alcohol use.
