Learn about policies to improve student safety during prom and graduation season

The prom and graduation season are celebratory events.  Unfortunately, the days prior and following these events can include tragic stories of serious injuries and deaths resulting from poor decision making by youth while under the influence of alcohol.  A number of strategies and policies can prevent youth access to alcohol and prevent underage drinking.

Learn about these strategies during a free webinar, "Policies to Improve Student Health and Safety During High Risk Times of Year", Thursday, March 21, 12-1:15 p.m.  Click here to register.

Prom advice for parents

Seattle Children's Adolescent Medicine physician Cora Breuner offers advice for parents to keep their teenagers safe at prom and after prom.

Teenagers, drinking & driving

Nearly all high school juniors and seniors believe their peers are more likely to drink and drive on prom and graduation nights according to the Center for Substance Abuse Research. Despite this perception, students do not think driving on these nights is dangerous.

In northeast Seattle, 23% of high school juniors and 33% of high school seniors report riding with someone who has been drinking.

Source: 2008 Healthy Youth Survey results for Eckstein Middle School, Nathan Hale High School, and Roosevelt High School.

Underage drinking during prom & graduation

A May 25 National Public Radio segment addressed underage drinking during prom and graduation. The segment includes tips from adults and teens on ways to talk to teens about alcohol use. NPR's description of the segment:

Kids look forward to the prom — but some parents dread it. The temptation to hit the booze at the after-parties may be strong for teens, but some studies say that science may be the way to convince them to say "no." When it comes to teen drinking, a new set of talking points can help parents.

Reducing youth alcohol use at prom-time

A few years ago, a student at Virginia Tech compared four programs aimed at reducing youth alcohol use at proms. The four methods used by the schools with which he worked were:

1. school-wide assemblies with an anti-drug message
2. school-sponsored, drug-free after-prom parties
3. Nationwide Insurance's Prom Promise® program, and
4. the None for the Road program.

The most successful program in reducing high-risk behavior was a school-sponsored after-prom party, followed by a school-wide assembly with an anti-drug message, both of which significantly reduced the amount of high-risk behavior on prom night. Smith's research found that Prom Promise, used by 3,434 schools each year, did not have a significant impact on high-risk behavior. Students who attended None for the Road events reported being more likely to consume alcohol on prom night!