Responsibly Celebrate Graduation

Graduation season is upon us and is a time for celebrating. It is the culmination of years of schooling, sports, hard work and the starting point of our teen’s adult life. As parents, we hope that the skills, values and morals we have taught our kids will be strong enough to help guide them when faced with tough decisions, since we will not always be around to help.

Parents, grandparents, family members and friends celebrating their graduate’s accomplishments at graduation parties provides an opportunity to model behavior that teens may be facing more of in the near future: alcohol use. While it is easy to get caught up in the celebrations and over-indulge in alcoholic beverages, adults need to remember that young children and teens are present and watching their behavior.

Responsible drinking is important, as it shows that you’re making a conscious decision to set a good example. Follow these tips from the Project Turnabout (projectturnabout.org) to prevent you from binge drinking at a high school graduation party:

Understand what a standard drink is. Often, drinks that are poured in glasses or cups are larger than the standard serving size.

Choose to drink non-alcoholic beverages. If you are a host, make sure there are plenty of these options available.

Consume slowly. Only take a sip or two of your beverage at a time. Do not drink multiple drinks in an hour. Your body absorbs alcohol at a slow rate, and you may not be aware of how much you are affected right away.

Be aware of the health consequences of binge drinking. Being aware of the problems associated with binge drinking can help you make a decision to overcome it. Resources on binge drinking prevention can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm.

Avoid situations and parties where alcohol is the main focus of the event.

Remember that drinking alcohol is not a competition, nor a way to look cool.

If you do decide to drink alcohol at a graduation event, make sure you have a sober ride home.

Above all, remember that the reason for this joyous occasion is to celebrate your high schooler’s accomplishments as they move on to the next phase of their life. Graduation parties are neither the time nor place to be practicing dangerous drinking habits. Be the best example for them by showing that the focus of their celebration is them, not the alcohol.

The Glasgow Police Department is committed to providing education and tips to help reduce alcohol abuse.

For more information about tips to help prevent binge drinking and underage drinking, contact Prevention Specialist Jenny Fuller at [email protected] or (406) 263-0943.