Parents are the #1 reason kids don't drink alcohol or use other drugs.

Start Talking Before They Start Drinking Alcohol or Using Other Drugs

Education alone is not enough to deter teens from drinking as they enter the difficult social transition to adulthood because there are many pressures and opportunities to drink. Research shows parents can have a powerful influence on their child's decision to remain drug-free. Parents may not realize that children say parental disapproval of underage drinking and other drug use is the key reason they have chosen not to use alcohol. Mixed messages, and unclear family rules and expectations also leave children more vulnerable to underage drinking.