Do you plan to have alcohol at your teen’s graduation party? For the adults, you say? Is it okay if the kids sneak a little? Do you “take their keys” to keep them safe while they drink on your property?

What messages do these actions send to teens? Grownups need to drink to have fun – even if it’s at a party for teens. Or, that it’s okay to drink if you’re underage.

Some things to consider:

• What about the teens who feel pressured to drink? It’s hard enough to have pressure from peers, but pressure from your friends’ parents, who are saying it’s okay “as long as you give me the keys”, makes it harder to avoid drinking.
• Underage drinking is NOT a rite of passage. Entertaining them with stories of you or others drinking as a teenager may make them think it's acceptable. 
• The teen brain is still developing (until age 25) and is negatively affected by alcohol.
• And, it’s illegal to let underage kids drink on your property.

As teens are finishing another school year and getting ready for college, a job, sports camps or just hanging out for the summer, poor choices can bring plans to a screeching halt. And can make the teen feel like it’s a ride on a runaway train. Alcohol use and inadequate adult supervision can lead to sexual activity, another area of risky behavior that can put on the brakes, or make the train jump the tracks. Pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV are all very real hazards for the sexually active teen.

The ZAP, Zero Adolescent Pregnancy, program started in 1991 in response to the high teen pregnancy numbers in Cortland County. One goal has been to help teens realize there are many options in life other than being a teen parent. Programs by the ZAP-PEERS and the Jacobus Center for Reproductive Health Educators, Mary Dykeman and Heather Roche, tackle the issues teens and pre-teens face and provide decision-making skills to help them.

When kids choose to avoid alcohol, drugs and other risky behaviors, the future is much brighter with more options. Cortland Area Communities That Care (CACTC) is a process to help teens stay on track and fulfill their dreams. Those of us involved in CACTC want you to know that you can help your teens stay on the road to success (however that is defined) by:

• Setting a good example
• By repeatedly telling your teen it is not okay to drink alcohol. It’s not okay to do drugs. And it’s not okay to have sex.
• Be open to parents calling you if your teen is having a party at your house.
• Check with other parents about supervision when your teen goes to friends’ houses.
• AND at graduation time and throughout the year, don’t allow teens to drink in your home!

It takes a village – let’s work together to keep our teens safe. We are their role models. They need, and deserve, our help!

For questions or to inquire about programs by the Jacobus Center Health Educators, please call 753-5088.

Elaine Lambert is the director of the Jacobus Center for Reproductive Health, a division of the Cortland County Health Department and chair of the CACTC Risk and Protective Workgroup.