HELP STUDENTS GET A GOOD START

UNDERAGE DRINKING

» 33 percent of 8th graders and 70 percent of 

12th graders in the United States have tried 

alcohol.

» Young people who start drinking before age 

15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol 

problems as adults than those who begin 

drinking at 21 or older.

» Underage drinking has severe consequences, 

including injury or death from accidents; 

unintended, unwanted, or unprotected sexual 

activity; academic problems; and drug use.

» 40 percent of adolescents do not talk 

with their parents about the dangers of 

substance use, and 25 percent do not receive 

prevention messages through media or school 

sources.

» Parents have a significant influence on young 

people’s decisions about drinking alcohol.

As a teacher or school staff member, you work hard 

every day to prepare students for future success. You 

may not realize how seriously underage drinking can 

undermine their academic achievement and other

life goals.

You can play an important role in a new national 

campaign to prevent underage drinking. Sponsored by 

the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration, the Talk. They Hear You. campaign 

empowers parents and caregivers to talk with their 

children ages 9 to 15 about risks of underage drinking. 

It also teaches them how to be effective in these 

sometimes tough conversations.

The campaign uses public service announcements and 

other materials to raise awareness. It also offers the 

Talk. They Hear You. application, which is like a video 

game that lets parents practice talking with kids about 

alcohol.

You can help get the word out by letting parents know 

about the Campaign and how to access the application 

on their computer or mobile device.

There are easy ways to incorporate support for the 

Campaign into an already busy school day. Everything 

you need is at underagedrinking.samhsa.gov.
Promote the Campaign in

Your School

» Schedule time during an in service day, 

faculty meeting, PTA meeting, or Back to 

School Night to introduce the Campaign 

and the problem of underage drinking. Go 

to the Campaign website for presentation 

materials you can tailor or use as they are.

» Set up a computer in the faculty lounge with 

instructions for accessing the application.

» Print Campaign posters and hang them in 

the faculty lounge.

» Use parent conferences to let parents 

know about the problem of underage 

drinking, the Campaign, and how parents 

can make a huge difference just by talking 

with their kids. Be sure to mention the 

application, a tool to help them learn how to engage their kids. 

» Print out materials to give parents as handouts at school events. 

Promote the Campaign in Your Community

» Talk with leaders in your community’s organizations—religious groups, youth groups, civic 

organizations, and more—about helping display the Campaign posters or mentioning the 

Campaign in newsletters that reach parents.

» Let local media know about the Campaign and ask them to use the PSAs to alert parents in your 

community.

» Give demonstrations of the application at meetings held by groups you participate in.

» Hold a Town Hall Meeting. See stopalcoholabuse.gov/TownHallMeetings.

UNDERAGEDRINKING.SAMHSA.GOV

PARENT TIPS FOR TALKING 

ABOUT ALCOHOL

1. Show you disapprove of underage drinking.

2. Show you care about your child’s happiness 

and well-being.

3. Show you’re a good source of information 

about alcohol.

4. Show you’re paying attention and you’ll 

notice if your child drinks.

5. Build your child’s skills and strategies for 

avoiding underage drinking.

Talk to Your Own Children

About Underage Drinking

» Fine tune your own parent 

communication skills using the 

application.

» Take every opportunity to discuss 

alcohol risks—when watching TV, at 

the table, in the car, or when doing 

chores together.