Checklist for Parents

Monitoring your teen for alcohol use is an ongoing responsibility. These checklists can help you remember the bases you need to cover and set the groundwork for healthy supervision of your teen’s activities and risk for alcohol use.

Before your teen goes out, make sure you ask him/her the following questions:

• Where are you going?
• What are you doing?
• Who will you be with?
• Will alcohol be present? What will you do if it is?
• Will there be adult supervision?
• Do you know your curfew?
• Do you know the consequences of breaking curfew?

 When your teen returns, keep the following questions in mind:

• Is your teen easily able to talk with you? Is he/she coherent?
• Is there a smell of alcohol on clothing or breath?

 Talk to your teen about what happened while he/she was out:

• Were there any problems or peer pressures encountered? If so, how did he/she handle it? How did he/she feel about it?
• Was alcohol present? If so, was he/she concerned about anybody putting themselves or others at risk? What was or could have been done to prevent problems?
• Was there adult supervision? Was it adequate to keep people safe?

 Tips to help you monitor for alcohol use every day:

• Encourage your teen and his/her friends to have fun, without drinking, through other activities, (sports, family activities, hobbies, clubs, etc).

• Do not allow teens to consume alcohol in your home.

 The Vermont Department of Health encourages parents throughout Vermont to talk with their teen and help prevent underage drinking. For more information, visit parentupvt.org or dial 211.  

Content based on materials created by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Substance Abuse.