May 3, 2021

Highlighting the Role of Parents During National Prevention Week

By Extension Assistant Professor, Lisa Schainker

Parents talking to teens

National Prevention Week is an event that is held each May by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA is the government agency responsible for reducing the impact of substance misuse and mental illness on America's communities. This event is timed to occur right before the beginning of summer break because research has shown that the summer months are when many adolescents and college students begin using alcohol and other drugs (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2015; Lipari,2012). With the end of the school year approaching, this is the ideal time to step up prevention efforts. 

According to SAMHSA, over 80% of people ages 10-18 say their parents are the primary influence on whether or not they decide to experiment with drugs or alcohol. This is why a team at SAMHSA created the “Talk. They Hear You.”® media campaign. The purpose of this campaign is to give parents and caregivers the resources they need to help their kids stay drug and alcohol free during the teen years when their brains are still developing and remain highly susceptible to the negative effects of substance misuse. The campaign highlights some of the key research-based parenting strategies that have been shown to make a difference, including the following five tips:

  1. Make sure your child knows how you feel about underage drinking and substance misuse by sharing a strong message of disapproval. Often times, parents think they have been clear, but they have never actually come out and directly shared their expectations around using substances.
  2. Make sure your child knows you care about their health, wellness, and success and explain that this is one of the reasons you don’t want them to drink or use other drugs. By sharing these reasons behind your expectations for not wanting them to use substances, you are helping them see that it isn’t just because “you said so."
  3.   Make sure your child knows that they can talk to you about alcohol and other drugs when they need reliable information. The last thing we want is for our children to believe the myths they hear from their friends or see on the internet, but that is what they are likely to do unless they know we are willing to answer their questions.
  4. Make sure your child knows you are paying attention to what they are up to by asking about their friends and their plans. The key is to show you care about what’s going on in their life without making them feel smothered, which may end up making them feel like you don’t trust them.
  5. Help your child develop a plan for dealing with an offer to use alcohol or other drugs and let them practice using it with you. This is important because even when they don’t initially intend to say yes, in the moment, peer pressure can be a powerful influence.

Find more resources, including an app designed to help parents practice talking to their kids about the dangers of substance use, on SAMHSA’s Talk. They Hear You website.

References

  • Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2012, July 2). The NSDUH Report: Monthly variation in substance use initiation among adolescents. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
  • Lipari, R. N. (2015). Monthly Variation in Substance Use Initiation Among Full-Time College Students. The CBHSQ Report: August 27, 2015. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Rockville, MD.
  • Talk. They Hear You. About the Campaign
  • Talk. They Hear You. Five Conversation Goals.