Lions, and tigers, and bears...and princesses and pumpkins and ghosts! What could be more fun than dressing up in costume and receiving sweet treats from neighbors and friends!
Halloween is definitely a day of fun, but, sadly, it can also be one most the deadliest due to drunk drivers. In fact, Halloween surpasses all other days of the year for DWI arrests, including New Year’s Eve. ER visits among adolescents and teens are five times more likely to happen on Halloween on a regular weekend night due to auto accidents and substance abuse.
Help Ensure your Teen has a Safe and Sober Halloween
Dressing up can give young people a sense of freedom as they take on a different persona. While you can’t expect that your well-behaved daughter will act the same as always when he or she is dressed as a rapper or a Gossip Girl, the best thing you can do is keep the lines of communication open so that your child knows the rules and you know what he or she is up to.
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Plan activities in advance. Try to join with other parents or community groups to offer sober alternatives to our teens. The best way to know for sure that there’s no alcohol is to host a party yourself. I f this isn’t possible, make it very clear that you want to know exactly where your teen will be during the evening.Make sure you know who is having a celebration what adults and parents will be there, and set a time for your child to return home.
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Offer to be the driver for your teen and some of his or her friends.
Sit down and talk with your child (again!) about family rules, what is approved behavior. Talk about how Halloween seems to be a time when teens feel emboldened and want to experiment with alcohol or drugs at parties. Reinforce the rules - and the consequences -- for drinking and drug use.
Get around the partying aspect of Halloween aspect by having teens involved in trick-or-treating at home. Dressing up in costume and accompanying younger siblings around the neighborhood can be a lot of fun. One of the parents can also be part of the activity.
For those of you with older children in college, remember that even if your child is older and there are fewer rules you can impose, you’re still a parent and your opinion counts. Ask about what parties they are attending. Talk to them about the dangers of driving while under the influence and let them know your concern.
The Wayne Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse wants you to have a fun and safe Halloween and offers some tips. In this blog we’ll give tips on how to help your teen have a safe and sober Halloween. Look for our next blog on Trick-or-Treating and driving safety tips.
See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/halloween-safety-tips#sthash.xaVBzx3R.dpuf and be sure to like our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/waynealliance
Article Contributed by Alliance volunteer: Eileen Smith
