Kids and teens whose parents have communicated that alcohol use is not allowed are less likely to start drinking. Based on our 2019 youth survey, 85% of Cortland County teens report that their parents set clear rules alcohol use. Setting fair consequences and enforcing them if your child does break rules is also an essential component of limiting alcohol access at home. Our survey data shows us that kids who reported major parental consequences when caught drinking in the past year were less likely to binge drink in the past month compared to kids who had no or minor parental consequences.

Making it more difficult for teens to access alcohol in your home is an easy way to prevent them from drinking. If you keep alcohol in your home, having a reliable system to track what you have and/or a liquor cabinet or cupboard that locks could prevent teens from snatching those few forgotten beers. Cortland County teens who report it is hard to access alcohol are less likely to report drinking in the past month. Limiting access starts at home!

When setting family rules, parents can emphasize that parties or gatherings are not allowed when they are not home. Creating an environment where your child and your child’s friends want to spend time in your home (while you are there) could prevent them from drinking in another person’s home. Taking the time to form relationships with your friend’s parents allows you to communicate your family rules with them (and to see if your child will have similar alcohol related rules while attending gatherings at their house).

Historical trend data for alcohol among 7th -12th graders show a steady decline from 22.6% in 2015 to 13.6% in 2021 for past 30 day use. Fewer youth are using alcohol, not only in the past month, but in their lifetime. Cortland youth who have ever used alcohol reduced from 45.6% in 2015 to 32.7% in 2021. In the year-to-year alcohol use, all grades, except those in 8th and 10th grade, reported lower rates of alcohol use compared to 2020. Alcohol use among 8th graders remained the same while use among 10th graders slightly increased in 2021. 

Social marketing campaign is one the ongoing prevention strategies of CACTC under the SPF-PFS grant targeting parents of 9–20-year-olds in Cortland County. The campaign will focus on providing accurate information to parents on the dangers and consequences of underage drinking and enhancing the skills of parents to prevent and reduce underage drinking.