It’s Prom season again and teenagers across the country are getting ready for the big night, spending lots of money on dresses, hair, make up and alcohol.
Yes, alcohol.
The other day I happened to glimpse at one of my 17 year old client’s cell phone screen and saw that she was in the middle of texting someone about Prom. The last message read, “Are you sure your cousin is going to be able to get us the alcohol?”
I wasn’t shocked, but disappointed. After all, this client is one of my “good” kids who generally doesn’t give me any trouble at all, but I was disappointed that she was planning on drinking on Prom night, just as thousands of other students will be doing.
Teens and alcohol simply don’t mix, they never have, and Prom and alcohol definitely don’t mix.
Teens want to party and celebrate, to be “grown” for a night which includes partying and celebrating the way they see or think grown people do, with alcohol which is why Prom and Graduation season are so deadly for teens when it comes to alcohol related accidents and deaths.
For example, in 2005 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 676 high school students were killed in alcohol related traffic accidents. One third of all alcohol related traffic accidents involving students happen between the months of April, May and June.
Drinking alcohol can cause adults to make poor decisions, imagine the poor decisions involved with underage drinking.
Young drivers are less likely to wear their seat belts when they have been drinking. In 2005, 64% of young drivers involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking were not wearing a seat belt (NHTSA).
Teens who have been drinking or aren’t thinking about possible consequences, are also more likely to get into a car with someone who has been drinking, which of course puts their lives at risk even if they avoided alcohol themselves.
According to a 2005 report by the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, in the last 30 days, nearly 30 percent of high school students reported getting in a car driven by someone they knew had been drinking alcohol.
Other than drinking and driving, there are the other issues that come along with being intoxicated, such as leaving oneself vulnerable to sexual assaults, theft, violence and a host of other reckless, stupid behaviors and decisions.
One statistic I saw estimated that 90 percent of all crimes on college campuses including rape and murder involved alcohol.
Ask your teen how much would it suck on Prom night to end up:
- on their knees somewhere throwing up or passed out
- embarrassing themselves, their friends or their date
- on a Youtube video doing something they wish they could take back
- not remembering much of this supposedly unforgettable night
- suspended from school or worse, arrested
Some people will say that teens will be teens, they will party and drink, but so what? Well if the statistics about alcohol related traffic accidents above doesn’t cause you to pause, think about these numbers from about.com:
- 3 million children ages 14 through 17 are regular drinkers who already have a confirmed alcohol problem
- Ninth graders who drink are almost twice as likely to attempt suicide as those who don’t
- 40 percent of children who begin drinking before the age of 15 will become alcoholics at some point in their lives
We can’t ignore the problem of teenage drinking. I am almost positive that the client I spoke about above, parents have not talked to her at all about drinking on Prom night, because she is an excellent student who never has behavioral problems. They would be shocked to know about her intentions, which is why I let her know I saw her text and spoke at length with her about underage drinking.
Parents, talk to your teens about staying safe and away from alcohol and drugs during Prom. Not only should you talk to your teen, you should also speak with their dates and even friends to try to make sure everyone is on the same page. You can even have your teen, their date and friends sign a sobriety or Prom promise, that says something as simple as:
I,__(name)_________ hereby commit to having a safe Prom by not using alcohol, tobacco, or any other drugs. I will also encourage those with me to remain alcohol and drug free and I will not get into a vehicle driven by someone who is not sober.
Have your teen sign and date it. Sounds simple, but this little method has proven to be powerful on high school campuses across the country each Prom and graduation season.
Lastly, parents:
- Let your teen know that they can call you or someone else you both trust and agree upon, to come and get them anytime from anywhere
- Know your teen’s plans for before, during and after Prom
- Know who they are with
- Come to a fair and agreed upon curfew
- Let them know your expectations for an alcohol and drug free night
- Check in with them during and after the Prom, or have to check in. A simple text, “I’m okay” may suffice
Prom is an exciting, memorable time that unfortunately ends in tragedy for far too many young people. Let’s try to keep them safe while allowing them to prove that they are ready for the responsibilities that come along with being young adults.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor 
Great post. It’s actually one of the situations a “good” character in my novel is going to deal with. There are consequences that nobody thinks about.