Mothers Against Drunk Driving and National Presenting Sponsor Nationwide released new survey data in April on parents’ attitudes and behaviours about US teen drinking during special occasions, such as prom. Parents ranked prom as the time of year they are most concerned about their teens drinking alcohol, followed by spring break, graduation, summer break, homecoming, winter break and at school sporting events.
The MADD/Nationwide Survey results also showed that while 80% of parents said it’s not okay to drink under 21, and 90% or higher of parents said it’s not okay to drink during school-based special occasions. 96% parents said it’s not okay for their children to drink at prom. Over 60% of parents think that their teens would get alcohol from a close friend/peer over anyone else at a special occasion, such as prom. Just over half of parents talk to their teens about risks of drinking alcohol before special events. When it comes to non-school based special occasions such as family gatherings and birthday parties, parents were more accepting of teen drinking: one out of three parents said yes or maybe to their kids drinking as long as it was under their supervision.
In April, MADD and National Supporting Partner National Alcohol Beverage Control Association released five topical guides for parents of middle school and high school students. The bite-sized guides focus on a specific topic related to preventing underage drinking. |
