How to help parents talk to teens about AOD
For teenagers, having a parent, guardian, teacher or coach talk to them about alcohol and other drugs can be really important.
But for many parents and influential adults, it can be hard to know where to begin.
Learn how to help teenagers build the skills and knowledge they need to have open and informed conversations.
Why helping parents talk to teens in particular is so important
Teenagers are at a greater risk of alcohol-related harms than adults and the earlier they are introduced to drinking, the more likely they are to become dependent later in life.
They’re also vulnerable to other drugs through increased risk-taking and sensation-seeking behaviour.
Thankfully, research shows us that parents’ attitudes and actions have a huge impact on a teen’s drinking behaviour.
And giving parents the tools to start these conversations can help their kids shape healthier attitudes and behaviours down the track.
Research shows us that parents’ attitudes and actions have a huge impact on a teen’s drinking behaviour.
What we can do to help
You can help by leading a program, event or activity that gives parents the confidence to have frank, open conversations with their teenage kids.
It could be a workshop at a school, an education program or an event that brings the community together.
These projects help parents by giving them the information they need.
Here are a few points from our Supporting Teenagers toolkit, that you may want to cover in your project.
- How to set rules and consequences – It’s important to help parents explain the rules to teenagers and the consequences for breaking them.
- Why it’s important to ask questions – Parents should talk to their child about their views on alcohol and other drugs, and explore what they might do in different situations.
- How to make sure teens understand the harms – Parents also need to know that scare tactics don’t work. Explain how exaggerating the harms can make the message seem less credible.
- Where to find the facts – Facts can help parents dispel commonly-held myths. The Drug Facts page on the Alcohol and Drug Foundation website is one great resource you can direct them to.
While helpful for parents, these programs, events and activities can also reach other people who are able to influence teens like coaches, peers, teachers, grandparents and siblings.
Where to get advice
The ADF’s Community Hub has a wide range of resources that can be used to help upskill parents and key influencers to talk to teens, including:
- The Supporting Teenagers toolkit - From role modelling to encouraging safe partying, get advice on preparing to talk with teens about alcohol and other drugs.
- The Supporting Teenagers webinar - You’ll also find the Supporting Teenagers webinar on our Community Hub. This is full of up-to-date advice on creating projects that help parents support teenagers.
- Real life stories – Local Drug Action Teams across the country are supporting young people of all ages at risk of harm from alcohol and other drugs. Start with Midnight Basketball Australia, and Celebrating Women of the LDAT program.
- The Community Hub is a helpful, practical resource that provides individuals and groups with the information they need to support their loved ones and communities. To stay in the loop with our latest news, sign up to our newsletter.
- National Health and Medical Research Council. Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol. Australian Government; 2020.
- Yap MBH, Cheong TWK, Zaravinos-Tsakos F, Lubman DI, Jorm AF. Modifiable parenting factors associated with adolescent alcohol misuse: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Addiction. 2017;112(7):1142-62.
- Casey B, Jones M, Hare T. The Adolescent Brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2008. 28(1): 111–126.
- Randolph KA, Cheatham LP, Weiss UK, Williams J. Exposure to Parent and Peer Alcohol Use and the Risk of Drinking Onset and Escalation Among Adolescents. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal. 2018;35(2):97-106.
- Spirito A, Hernandez L, Cancilliere MK, Graves H, Knopik VS, Barnett N. Improving parenting and parent-teen communication to delay or prevent the onset of alcohol and drug use in adolescents with emotional/behavioural disorders: A pilot trail. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse 2015; 24(5): 308–322.
