The end of school has arrived for almost all U.S. students, and many are eager to take advantage of the lazy, hazy days of summer.

However, in addition to encouraging sloth-like behavior, summer is also the time of year when less supervision and more free time can prompt some young people to engage in dangerous behaviors such as drinking and the abuse of other drugs.

"There are ways to help prevent the incidences of underage drinking," Dale Cameron-Kody, the community wellness coordinator for Pittsford, N.Y., said in a June 16 article on the Democrat and Chronicle website. "Ask a lot of questions of your child. 'Where are you going? Who are you going with? Are you staying in one place or driving around? Do I have to worry about alcohol and drugs tonight?'"

If your child is going to a party at a friend’s house, call the parents that are hosting the party. Make sure they'll be home and that alcohol is not being served.

Labels: prevention, summer, teenage_drinking

Summer vacation often means little or no structure for teenagers, which is one of the reasons they love summer. But the lack of structure can lend itself to unhealthy experiments.

"...there is a 40 percent increase in first-time youth marijuana use during June and July compared to the rest of the year. 'When there is more freedom, this is also more temptation,' Pathway Family Center said in a statement released on Tuesday. 'Statistics show that youthful experimentation with drugs, tobacco, and alcohol is more likely to occur during an unsupervised time when teens are alone or with their peers.'"

Parents can take proactive and preventative steps by planning summer activities for the entire family, encouraging their kids to continue afterschool activities into the summer, enrolling in summer camp or a wilderness program, and getting know their kids' friends and families.Source: Chesterton Tribune

Not sure what your teen will be doing this summer? Visit SummerCampsInfo.com for a list of teen summer camps or AlternativeSummerCamps.com for alternative summer camp programs.

Labels: first-time_users, marijuana, summer