The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) today introduced Talk2Prevent.NY.GOV, a new website that gives parents tools to talk to their children about the risks of underage drinking. As high school graduations and graduation parties take place across the state during the beginning of the summer season, the new Talk2Prevent website offers a tool kit for parents to guide them in talking to their children about the risks of underage drinking and how to stay safe.

“As the school year comes to an end and the summer season begins, teenagers across the State will be celebrating at parties and functions with friends and family,” said NYS OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “Now is an important time for parents to start the conversation about underage drinking with their children and encourage them to make safe and responsible decisions. This website provides the resources to help parents start and continue that dialogue and keep New York’s young people safeguarded from the risks of underage drinking.”

The site’s tool kit for parents includes conversation starters, ways to text your child about keeping safe, a list of warning signs for underage drinking, and an agreement that both parent and child can sign to establish a clear understanding of family rules around underage drinking. Parents can also visit the Talk2Prevent Facebook page to join a community of parents and share resources and messages with other parents.

“A parent’s disapproval of underage drinking is the number one reason young people choose not to drink alcohol,” added Commissioner González-Sánchez. “I encourage all parents to visit the Talk2Prevent website to learn more about underage drinking and to use the tool kit to help them broach the subject of alcohol and drug use with their children. I also encourage parents to continue the conversation and to talk regularly about the health risks and dangers that underage drinking presents.”

The site also highlights important information about the problem of underage drinking, including that:

- One out of three 13-year-olds in New York has tried alcohol.
- 49 percent of high school seniors have consumed alcohol in the last 30 days.
- Most kids who consume alcohol do it in their own home or in the home of a friend.

The Talk2Prevent Parent Tool Kit contains the following materials that can be downloaded:

A Parent Child Agreement

http://talk2prevent.ny.gov/toolkit/parentchild-agreement

How to Have a Conversation about Alcohol with your College-Bound Child
http://talk2prevent.ny.gov/toolkit/college-conversations

Signs and Red Flags of Alcohol Use

http://talk2prevent.ny.gov/toolkit/red-flags-remember

How to Text to Talk with your Teen

http://talk2prevent.ny.gov/toolkit/text2talk

Making the Talk Count

http://talk2prevent.ny.gov/toolkit/making-talk-count

The Talk2Prevent website also has resources for community prevention coalitions and links to more than 400 town and county level alcohol prevention and treatment service providers across New York State.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can call or text the State’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline, 1-877-8-HOPENY (-877-846-7369). The HOPEline is staffed by trained clinicians who are ready to answer questions and offer treatment referrals. Additional resources are available through the NYS OASAS website here. A list of addiction treatment providers is available here.

For information about combating heroin use and prescription opioid drug abuse, visit New York State’s #CombatHeroin website. Information about anti-opioid overdose medication training is available here.

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CONTACT: Susan Craig, Communications, New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services

communications@oasas.ny.gov, 518-457-8299