In this Q&A from the LaCrosse Tribune, Family columnist Colleen O'Reilly advises a parent who's worried about her 15-year-old daughter and the friends she's making. How do you talk to a daughter whose friends are using drugs? How do you help her avoid the same pitfall?

"Since your main concern seems to be avoidance, I suggest that you make a date where you will not be interrupted. You want this to be important. During your date, you will express your honest concerns for your daughter and admit you are powerless to make her decisions. Continue by saying that you want her to know she can use you as an excuse if she is invited to partake. Many teens like being able to say that their parents will 'kill them if they use.'..."

Getting a teen involved in extra-curricular activities can help, too. Most school clubs and teams have strict rules about drug and alcohol use, which gives a student another great "out" if approached about trying an illegal substance.

NorthStar Center offers adolescent drug treatment to teens and young adults.

Labels: friends, pressure, prevention

Adolescents are more likely to drink if their friends do, and their peers may influence their drinking habits even more than their parents do, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Danielle Dick and her colleagues studied data from 4700 teenagers in Finland, looking for associations between teen friendships and alcohol use. The researchers found that girls' drinking in particular is linked to the influence of peers. Having friends of the opposite sex correlated with increased drinking for both sexes.

Parents should be aware of their children's friends, Dr. Dick advised. "This awareness is particularly important for girls, and when the friendship group consists of members of the opposite sex."

This study appears in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Labels: alcohol, friends, influences

The Eighth Annual Western South Dakota Youth to Youth Conference was held last week in Rapid City. The conference aims to use positive peer pressure to steer young people away from alcohol and substance abuse.

"[Alonna] Fry said discussing drugs and alcohol with fellow students makes her take the issues more seriously. 'It's nice to know there are other people my age that choose not to be involved with drugs,' Fry said. 'That's what we need at our age.'"

The conference begins with some games that are designed to help the students get to know and feel comfortable with each other. Later in the conference, discussion groups tackle serious issues of drugs and alcohol that face today's teens. The students are also encouraged to make pledges to remain drug free and be role models in their schools.

As your teenager transitions into adulthood they may still need some guidance and structure, especially if they're in recovery. NorthStar Center is an aftercare program for young adults in recovery. Learn more at NorthStarCenter.com.

Labels: friends, influences, pressure