Keeping Teens Safe at Prom: Tips for Parents and Guardians

Prom season is here! Prom is a time for teens to celebrate and have fun but it all too often involves the use of alcohol and other drugs. Please join Healthy Novato in the commitment to a safe prom weekend. Learn what you can do as the most important person in your child’s life to keep him/her safe and healthy this season.

Clearly communicate a no alcohol use message:  Kids who receive a clear no alcohol use message from their parents are 42% less likely to drink underage than those who don’t. You may have already talked many times to your child about your expectations for healthy choices and the consequences of breaking the rules. Prom season is an important time to repeat this message. Talk to your child about the dangers of drinking as well as of drinking and driving and getting in the car with a drunk driver.

Know the plan, set curfews and monitor your teen:  Teen car crashes and deaths increase exponentially late at night. If you decide to extend curfews, do not allow large blocks of time that are unaccounted for. Know where your teen is, how long he/she will be there, when he/she will be leaving, who is there, and who is supervising the event.

Check substance use policies of limo and party bus companies: Make sure the company you hire has a zero-tolerance policy for underage drinking and drug use. Ask them how they enforce their policy.

Do not rent a hotel room:  Allowing teens to stay unsupervised in a hotel room provides the perfect opportunity for risky behavior. If a room is rented for teens, an appropriate adult(s) must be there to ensure safety and manage risk.

Make sure post-prom parties are safe and alcohol free: If you host a party in your home, make sure everyone is clear that alcohol and drug use is not allowed. Lock up alcohol and prescription drugs.  Be there to actively supervise. If your teen is going to a party, make sure that a responsible adult will be present and that alcohol and drugs will not be allowed. Sometimes parents think allowing drinking at a house party is safer than kids going off and drinking in unsupervised locations. The reality is that this still puts kids at risk, sends the message it is ok to drink, and increases the likelihood they will drink again in an unsupervised situation in the future. It’s also against the law.

Keep the party local:  Don’t be tempted to allow your children to celebrate at a far away location, such as a beach or cabin. Allowing your teen to take off to a remote spot with no supervision creates unnecessary risk.

Talk with your teen:  Ask: How are you feeling about the prom? What are you most excited about? What are you most nervous about? Find out who your teen is going to prom with. Do you know his/her date and/or group of friends? Does your teen know these kids well? Do you? If you don’t know the parents of your teen’s date and prom group, be sure to get to know them before the big event.

Stay in touch and be available:  Make sure your teen’s cell phone is charged and tell him/her to keep it on at all times. Set up established check-in times when your teen will call or text you. Provide an “out” for your teen. Let your teen know to call you or another responsible adult if he/she gets into an unsafe or uncomfortable situation.

Be up when they come home:  Be awake when your child gets home to check in with him/her about the night and make sure he/she has not been drinking or using other drugs. A teen’s curfew should never exceed the parent’s ability to stay up.

Know the laws: Remember it is against the law to purchase or provide alcohol to minors (anyone under 21). In Novato, and other Marin communities, the Social Host Ordinance also holds people accountable for allowing minors to drink on their property or at an event they host. Parents can be held jointly liable with their kids for hosting. If anything happens to a minor that you provide alcohol to or allow to drink, you are liable under other laws as well.

Help your teen enjoy their prom and graduation without drinking or using drugs. Communicate your rules and help them create everlasting memories. The prom is a rite of passage that your teen should enjoy and remember for a lifetime. Help them make it a safe one.

Check out healthynovato.org and follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/healthynovato for more information about actions that parents, guardians, and other caring adults can take to reduce the risk that their teens will drink. And visit NovatoBlueRibbon.org and follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/NBRC4Y to discover ways to get involved in building a community with reduced youth access to alcohol and drugs.