Trumbull Partnership
Against Underage Drinking
Trumbull has the power to stop
underage drinking.
TPAUD survey results show that what
parents think about underage drinking, what
they communicate to their children
about this issue, and how early they
start talking about making healthy
choices have a strong influence on
children.
Specifically: A student’s drinking behavior
and attitude is strongly related to their parents’ attitudes
about drinking.
- Of the middle school students who believe
their parents thought underage drinking was “acceptable” or “somewhat
acceptable,” 75% reported that they themselves
thought underage drinking was acceptable.
- Of the middle school students who believe
that their parents disapprove of underage drinking,
only 20% reported that they themselves thought
underage drinking was acceptable.
- Middle school students who report that
their parents think underage drinking is
acceptable were five (5) times more likely
to have drunk in the previous 30 days (42%)
than students who reported their parents
thought it was “unacceptable” or “very
unacceptable” (8%).
NOTE: This strong correlation continues for
every grade level, though it lessens as students
get older.
- While the TPAUD parent survey revealed that
79% of parents report initiating a conversation
with their children about alcohol use before
it began, focus group feedback indicated that
many parents were waiting too long to speak
to their children.
- Survey responses revealed that 46% of
high school students who have drunk alcohol
first tried it at the age of 14 or younger.
- Of the 11 th and 12 th graders who had
drunk alcohol, nearly 20% had parents that
had never spoken to them about drinking.
“As parents, we have a tremendous opportunity
to influence this issue in a positive way,” explained
Vicki Tesoro, co-president, Trumbull High School
Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). “By
talking with our kids early and continuing that
conversation through high school, we can help
our kids to make better choices.” |
