Don't Let Prom Be Your Last Dance!!

That’s the message from a group of teens who have teamed up with the Alcohol and Drug Prevention Team (ADAPT) of Essex County to help their peers avoid the dangers of under-age drinking and substance abuse.  Peer pressure and the need to fit in puts teens in dangerous situations during this end of school year time of parties and celebrations.  Prom season is an especially high risk time where alcohol related crashes are the number one killer of teens. 

If you have a teen in your home who will be attending a prom over the next few weeks - what can you do to help them be safe? 

Here are some tips from www.today.moms and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Be clear on rules – “NEVER ever drink and drive.”
• Emphasize safe driving – wear a seat belt, limit the number of passengers in a car, obey speed limits and never use a cell phone or text while driving.   
• Provide your teen with a safe way to get home if their driver has been drinking. 
• Agree on a secret code that lets you know your teen needs a ride home.  Tell your teen it’s ok to call or text at any time – no questions asked.
• Lock up your liquor supply and hide the key.
• Hire a limo and share the cost with other parents if friends want to go to the prom together as a group.
• Let your teen know you will be "waiting at the door" to monitor their safe return.

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD), “research shows that kids who have conversations with their parents and learn about the dangers of alcohol and drugs are 50% less likely to use alcohol or drugs as compared to those who have not had those conversations.”  These conversations should be ongoing – not something that begins and ends at prom time.

Resources are available to help parents with this topic. Visit the ADAPT website at www.essexadapt.org.  ADAPT is a 90+ member coalition managed by FAMILYConnections working to help kids be safe and healthy. Additional resources can be found at the NCADD website at www.ncadd.org.