Talking With Your College-Bound Young Adult About Alcohol

Students preparing to attend college have already taken several steps toward independence. Deciding where to go to college, what career path to pursue, and how to finance an advanced education are all choices in learning how to be an adult. But they are not there yet. Young adults still need and value their parents’ guidance as they make decisions about their future. One of these decisions will be about alcohol use at college—and parents represent the best source of advice on the issue.

Talk with your young adult about avoiding underage drinking, even if you suspect alcohol use during high school. Research suggests that teens who talked with their parents about alcohol avoidance strategies before they began their first year of college were more likely to avoid alcohol, limit its use, and spend less time with heavydrinking peers.

Alcohol avoidance can help a student keep academic plans on track; alcohol use can disrupt a future.