Resources for Talking to your Teen about the Dangers of Underage Drinking and Substance Misuse

Research shows that when conversations go up, underage drinking goes down. Since 2003, conversations between parents and kids have increased 73%. During that same period, underage drinking has decreased by 50%.

Here is a list of links to sites that have tips on how to talk to the teens in your life about the dangers of underage drinking and substance misuse. If you have teens in your life, check out these links.

If you find or have a resource about talking to your teens about the dangers of underage drinking and substance misuse please send it to media@vidadelnorte.com so that we can add it to this list.

"Talk. They Hear You."® Campaign
SAMHSA’s national substance use prevention campaign helps parents and caregivers start talking with their children early about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs.
https://www.samhsa.gov/talk-they-hear-you

Talk It Out is a site out of North Carolina that has a comprehensive guide for parents with different ways that they can start the conversation about the dangers of underage drinking and substance misuse.
This page can be a key tool every step of the way — from thinking about what to say and how to say it, to keeping the conversation going as your kids get older.
https://www.talkitoutnc.org/starting-the-conversation/

Ask, Listen, Learn is a completely FREE digital underage drinking prevention program for kids ages 9-13 (grades 4-8) and their parents and educators with the goal to reduce underage drinking. The information provided throughout the program guides adults with ways to start communicating with kids about alcohol and the developing brain– and how to continue talking to them as part of a lifetime of conversations.
https://asklistenlearn.org/

Responsibility.org has developed programs and resources to prepare for a lifetime of conversations with kids, teens, college students, and adults of legal drinking age.  Learn more at: https://www.responsibility.org/prevent-underage-drinking

Ready to start a conversation for a child at any age? On Our Sleeves is a site dedicated to children's mental health and has a downloadable guide of conversation starters and tips to help create the habit of talking with your kids about all sorts of topics in effective ways.
https://www.onoursleeves.org

Surveys and Data

These are some of the most recent surveys that relate to substance misuse in Taos County and Questa.
A new Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey will be published this fall.


2021 Annual statewide Community Survey done by
Rocky Mountain  Youth Corps & Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation

Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey -- Years: 2015 - 2019


Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey -- Years: 2015 - 2019

What the heck is going on with our precious kids   was a powerpoint presentation that Janie Corinne, the Vida Del Norte evaluator gave during the Questa Business Entrepreneurial Network (QBEN) meeting in February, 2021 that presents graphs of the data that was found during the Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey and compares substance use of youth in the Questa area to use in Taos County, NM and the United States. View this presentation.

Questa High School Youth Substance Abuse Summary Report Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey – DFC Core Measures Years 2015 - 2019

CURRENT USE (past 30 days)

2015

2017

2019

At least one drink of alcohol

43.4%

39.3%

59.0%

Smoke cigarettes

17.7%

14.4%

26.2%

Tobacco use, and of the 5 forms of use

-

-

68.1%

Use marijuana

45.8%

54.0%

48.9%

Use a prescription drug (such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, codeine, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax) not prescribed to you

9.9%

16.3%

29.8%

PERCEPTIONS OF RISK

2015

2017

2019

Moderate or great risk if people “take one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day”

56.9%

55.1%

Moderate or great risk when people “have five or more drinks of an alcoholic beverage once or twice a week”

67.8%

71.4%

60.9

Moderate or great risk if people “smoke one or more packs of cigarettes per day”

81.0%

80.4%

67.4

Moderate or great risk if people “smoke marijuana once or twice a week”

26.6%

22.7%

32.6

Moderate or great risk if people “use a prescription drug (such as OyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, codeine, Adderall Ritalin, or Xanax) not prescribed to you

88.2%

80.6%

73.3

PERCEPTION OF PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL

2015

2017

2019

Wrong or very wrong for you to have one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day?

84.3%

79.6%

80.4%

Wrong or very wrong for you to smoke cigarettes?

87.9%

88.8%

78.3%

Wrong or very wrong for you to smoke marijuana?

69.2%

54.6%

57.8%

Wrong or very wrong for you to use prescription drugs (such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, codeine, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax) not prescribed to you?

93.3%

88.7%

84.8%

PERCEPTION OF PEER DISAPPROVAL

2015

2017

2019

Wrong or very wrong for you to have one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day?

44.7%

51.0%

41.3%

Wrong or very wrong for you to smoke cigarettes?

67.2%

66.0%

69.6%

Wrong or very wrong for you to smoke marijuana?

28.3%

21.6%

32.6%

Wrong or very wrong for you to use prescription drugs (such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, codeine, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax) not prescribed to you?

85.6%

80.4%

73.9%

ATTITUDE TOWARD PEER USE

2015

2017

2019

Somewhat or strongly disapprove of someone your age having one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day?

69.8%

63.5%

47.8%

*The above table displays the Core Measures that each
Drug-Free Communities coalition is required to collect biannually.

Questa High School Youth Substance Abuse Summary Report
August, 2020

Questa Middle School Youth Substance Abuse Summary Report Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey – DFC Core Measures Years 2015 - 2019

CURRENT USE (past 30 days)

2015*

2017

2019

At least one drink of alcohol

16.7%

16.4%

Smoke cigarettes

1.5%

3.6%

Tobacco use, and of the 5 forms of use

24.1%

Use marijuana

13.6%

9.1%

Use a prescription drug (such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, codeine, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax) not prescribed to you

3.1%

7.3%

PERCEPTIONS OF RISK

2015*

2017

2019

Moderate or great risk if people “take one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day”

67.7%

Moderate or great risk when people “have five or more drinks of an alcoholic beverage once or twice a week”

82.2%

78.2%

Moderate or great risk if people “smoke one or more packs of cigarettes per day”

75.9%

81.8%

Moderate or great risk if people “smoke marijuana once or twice a week”

52.5%

66.0%

Moderate or great risk if people “use a prescription drug (such as OyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, codeine, Adderall Ritalin, or Xanax) not prescribed to you

85.5%

77.4%

PERCEPTION OF PARENTAL DISAPPROVAL

2015*

2017

2019

Wrong or very wrong for you to have one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day?

92.0%

90.9%

Wrong or very wrong for you to smoke cigarettes?

98.4%

96.4%

Wrong or very wrong for you to smoke marijuana?

91.9%

83.6%

Wrong or very wrong for you to use prescription drugs (such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, codeine, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax) not prescribed to you?

95.1%

90.9%

PERCEPTION OF PEER DISAPPROVAL

2015*

2017

2019

Wrong or very wrong for you to have one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day?

89.8%

67.9%

Wrong or very wrong for you to smoke cigarettes?

86.4%

75.9%

Wrong or very wrong for you to smoke marijuana?

70.7%

62.3%

Wrong or very wrong for you to use prescription drugs (such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, codeine, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax) not prescribed to you?

94.9%

79.2%

ATTITUDE TOWARD PEER USE

2015*

2017

2019

Somewhat or strongly disapprove of someone your age having one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day?

68.9%

68.5%

The above table displays the Core Measures that each Drug-Free Communities coalition is required to collect biannually.

*2015 figures not available

Questa Middle School Youth Substance Abuse Summary Report September, 2018

2021 NM Community Survey

Annual statewide Survey done by
Rocky Mountain  Youth Corps & Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation

Click on image to view the next slide.

Vida Del Norte Coalition