Make sure teens have a safe, drug & alcohol-free Halloween.

Parental responsibilities don’t end when your kids get too old for trick-or-treating. When your children outgrow those nights of checking candy piles for unwrapped items, safety gets even more complicated and hands-on. Learn how to help keep teens safe this Halloween.

Avoid unsupervised parties
Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol are common at unsupervised teen parties and parties thrown by college-aged kids. Help your teen find alternatives if she’s disappointed by being unable to attend parties that could involve drugs and alcohol. Let her know that when she’s older, she’ll have many opportunities to celebrate Halloween with responsible drinking, but for now it’s out of the question. Let your teen know that you’re available as a ride (no questions asked) if your teen is confronted with a drunk driver or a driver under the influence.

Talk about drugs often
Talk about drugs before Halloween and throughout the year. Chances are, your teen already knows other kids who are using drugs. According to DrugAbuse.gov, 6.6 percent of 12th graders reported using marijuana daily in 2011. If you ignore the presence of drugs and alcohol in your teen’s life, you’ll miss key opportunities to talk about the consequences of drug use and abuse.

Encourage safe activities
During Halloween, teens may be presented with opportunities to engage in dangerous behaviors. Talk to your teen about avoiding behaviors such as pranking, running around neighborhoods at night, and attending parties. Talk to your child about safety issues such as avoiding dark areas alone, as well as responsible ways to treat others. Whether your teen is sexually active or not, it’s a good time to talk about safe sex.

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Top Techniques for Saying “NO” to Alcohol

Learn how to say no to friends who offer you alcohol.       

Chances are high that you’ll be offered alcohol during your teenage years. In fact, according to the CDC, a survey in 2009 found that 42% of high school students had consumed alcohol during the past 30 days. Kids you know are probably drinking or have tried drinking. Learn techniques for saying no to alcohol so you can avoid becoming an underage drinking statistic.

Be reasonable
You don’t need to use scare tactics or worse case scenarios to convince your friends that drinking underage is a bad idea. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying it’s just not worth it. You don’t want to get in trouble with your parents or with school. The end.

Deflect
Try coming up with an alternative to drinking. “I was actually going to go to get some ice cream,” is a valid excuse. Maybe you have a movie to get to or you have to get up really early anyway.

Talk about side effects
Studies have tied underage drinking to stunted growth and a higher risk of accidents and sexual assault. You want to reach your full potential and enjoy being a teen. There’s plenty of time to drink responsibly when you’re of legal age.

Avoid having to say no
Sometimes the best way to avoid alcohol is to avoid friends who use alcohol. If you know your friends are going to pressure you, they may not actually be your friends. It's difficult to cut people off, but you’re not the bad guy if you just want to be treated with respect.

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Remember being very young and asking your parents for something over and over until they finally caved in? Sometimes your friends can put that same pressure on you, by verbally encouraging you to do things you don't want to do or don’t feel comfortable with. Just because someone is persistent or because they use their words to tease you or make you feel bad doesn’t mean you should give in. Verbal peer pressure can be beaten. Try these quick tips to stick to your guns:

Practice saying no. It’s not always easy to say no, even if you mean it inside. Practice saying no to people, even in situations that don’t involve peer pressure. You might turn down an invitation to go out or pass on doing homework together when you’d rather do it alone. The more you say no when you mean it, the easier it will be.

Remember your rights. When someone is arrested in the movies, the cops read them their rights. Read yourself your rights to say no when you’re feeling unsure. Your friends can't tell you what to do. You have the right to refuse anything that makes you uncomfortable. You have the right to shrug off a guilt trip and hold your head up high. Learn more about your right to resist.

Know your lines. Girlshealth.gov recommends preparing ahead of time by having ideas of what to say when you’re being pressured. You don’t need to spit out reasons like a robot, but you should practice having ways to respond to your friends pressuring you. Don’t be afraid to show some attitude. You’re an individual and you don’t want to bend to anyone’s idea of what you should be like.

Refresh your friends. Are you getting pressured more often than not? Maybe it’s time to refresh your friends. A good friend isn’t going to push you around, and a good friend won’t have a fit if you say no. Anyone who tries to force you into doing things that make you feel uncomfortable, such as drinking, smoking or shoplifting, isn’t really your friend at all. Surround yourself with friends who enjoy you for who you are.

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