Caribbean Life, March 13-19, 2020 25
PARTY & PROM GUIDE 2020
Keeping our kids
SAFE
As graduation nears for millions of
students, proms, parties, travel excursions,
and other opportunities
to celebrate are on the horizon.
Teenagers and young adults understandably
want to let loose and enjoy a
bit of revelry this time of year. But they
shouldn’t do it at the expense of their safety.
Even though Monitoring the Future’s
survey of drug use and attitudes among
high-schoolers shows some promising
trends — notably that past-year use of illicit
drugs other than marijuana holding
steady at the lowest levels in two decades
— drug and alcohol use remains a concern
whenever teens are in social situations.
Furthermore, the National Institute on
Drug Abuse found high school seniors reported
reduced perception of harm in occasional
cocaine, heroin and steroid use, and
reduced disapproval of trying LSD.
Underage drinking, and binge drinking
in particular, is responsible for the deaths
of thousands of underage kids each year,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. With planning and
eff ective communication, parents, caregivers
and teens can make smart and responsible
decisions this graduation season.
• Lead by example. Parents need to be
careful when speaking with teens about
alcohol and recognize that kids may be
observing their parents’ alcohol consumption.
Parents should lead by example and
avoid drinking to excess.
• Trust your judgement. Teens should
not let peer pressure compel them to do
anything they do not want to do. It’s not
necessary to drink or do drugs to have a
good time. Encourage teens to surround
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themselves with like-minded friends who
watch out for one another.
• Have a plan. It’s important that students
and their parents know where parties
will be held and how to get there, and
also how to get home. Make sure kids know
that it’s unsafe to ride home with someone
who has been drinking.
• Keep home parties safe. Parents hosting
prom or graduation parties at their
homes should limit invitees to a set number
of guests and ask that their children
do not advertise parties on the internet
or social media. Gate-crashers may lead
to unmanageable situations, and parents
may have trouble controlling parties when
there are too many people present. Focus
on food, music and other fun that doesn’t
involve drugs or alcohol.
Open communication and honesty can
help young adults responsibly navigate the
end-of-school social scene.
Responsible partying advice for teens
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