Alcohol: the important role of adult influencers

Adults can influence alcohol drinking behaviours by youth.

Help them make healthy choices about their alcohol use by building their developmental assets

Do you want to help youth make healthy choices about their alcohol use?

It comes down to resiliencythe ability to “bounce back” from difficult situations and make healthier choices when coping with life’s struggles.

As an adult influencer you can help youth build developmental assets®. Developmental assets are building blocks that help young people grow into healthy, caring, and responsible individuals.

One of the most important building blocks is having a healthy, meaningful relationship with an adult. In turn, youth are more inclined to respect boundaries and to show healthy decision making when they are surrounded by adults who are affectionate and understanding, yet who exercise firm discipline and hold high expectations for them.

What can you do?

Never provide alcohol to a young person who is not your child. Although all adults play a part, a young person’s leading influence in making decisions about drinking is a parent or guardian.

Want to learn more?

If you are a parent or guardian, visit:

Resources

Strategies for parents to prevent underage drinkingHTMLPDF
Talk to your children early about alcoholHTMLPDF

This item was last modified on March 16, 2017