Rules Target Teen Drinking in Oklahoma

People often fail to realize that Oklahoma auto accident attorneys have families and face the same trials as all Oklahomans. I can unequivocally admit that my profession gives me a fair amount of insight into the consequences of drinking and driving, texting and driving and other acts. However, as a father, I’m faced with the same challenges as everyone else in getting my teenage child to understand the devastating consequences of their actions.

This morning I came across an interested read from newsok.com wherein the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services provides some good parenting tips for preventing underage drinking among teens. While it’s important to stop teens from drinking and driving it’s as equally important to stop their drinking in general and/or at least reinforce the consequences of their behavior. I thought I would share those tips with our readers. According to the article, parents and/or loved ones should do the following:

· Provide a clear message. There should be no confusing language when discussing drug or alcohol use. Make sure the child knows that underage drinking and drug abuse are completely unacceptable.

· Report underage drinking. Adults should feel compelled to report instances of underage drinking to the proper authorities, in order to send a clear message to youths. To report instances of underage drinking, call (866) 942-6824 (94-2MUCH).

· Communicate with teens about underage drinking. People who wait until they are 21 to drink are much less likely to have health problems than those who start drinking at a younger age.

· Stay connected. Youths who feel a connection with their parents are far less likely to participate in underage drinking than those who feel alienated.

· Restrict access to alcohol. Set and enforce expectations regarding alcohol

· Be aware of things that could place your teen at higher risk. All youths are at risk, but the following make them more at risk: