REACH OUT NOW: FACTS AND ACTIVITIES TO HELP PREVENT UNDERAGE ALCOHOL USE

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Dear Families:

Welcome to Reach Out Now, a program developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and Scholastic Inc. for teachers and families, to help prevent underage alcohol use. This Family Resource Guide is one part of the program designed to give youth the facts about alcohol so they can make smart and healthy choices in the future.

You may think it is too early to talk with your 10- or 11-year-old about alcohol use. Most fifth and sixth graders don’t drink alcohol. But they may already have access to alcohol and may already be facing situations in which they need to make decisions about alcohol. The good news is that you have more influence on your child’s decision to drink before he or she uses alcohol.¹

It may not be easy to start a conversation with your child about alcohol use. But the following pages will give you tips and help guide you through starting a discussion about this sensitive topic. We hope that you will share the activities inside with your child. The benefits of communicating about the risks of alcohol can last a lifetime.

Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H.
RADM, USPHS
Acting Surgeon General
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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Six Key Actions Parents and Caregivers Can Take To Prevent Childhood Alcohol Abuse²

Establish and maintain good communication with your child.

Get involved, and stay involved, in your child’s life.

Make clear rules and enforce them with consistency and appropriate consequences.

Be positive role models.

Teach your child to choose friends wisely.

Monitor your child’s activities.

¹ NIAAA, "Making a Difference: Talk to Your Child About Alcohol," revised 2006.
² Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (SAMHSA/CSAP), SAMHSA News, March/April 2007, vol. 15, no. 2.