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June Monthly Message: Parents make the difference!
The season of celebration is upon us! With prom, end of the year activities and graduation day, the coming weeks will present plenty of opportunities for teens to consider engaging in high risk behavior, especially drinking alcohol and using other drugs. During this time, as much as ever, teens need help from caring adults to remain safe and healthy. The 2010 Tompkins Youth Development Survey showed that parents make a difference!
Tompkins County data show:
- that only 16% of students who said their parents or guardians would disapprove of their using alcohol reported using alcohol in the last 30 days.
- compare this to the 55% use rates by students who said their parents or guardians would NOT disapprove. It’s clear, parents matter!
As a caregiver - be clear, be firm, and be consistent so that teens know using alcohol and other drugs is unacceptable. Encourage your teen to make each moment count. Let them know you don’t want them to miss out because of bad choices. Help provide safe alternative for teens by planning fun, chaperoned, alcohol-free parties around prom and graduation. Unsupervised parties hold a high risk. As community members, we are asking you to help us create a climate of celebration that is safe and memorable, ensuring future health and happiness for our students and their friends.
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Monthly Messages are brought to you by:
The Community Coalition for Healthy Youth
Each monthly message is provided by coalition board members. If you have further questions or comments about this message or would like information on how to become involved with the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth, please email ahendrix@tompkins-co.org
Thank you in advance for forwarding this monthly message on to all of your networks.
Community Coalition for Healthy Youth
320 W. State/MLK Jr. Street
Ithaca NY 14850