Research, Tools Help Parents in Battle Against Teen Drinking

Did you know one in four teen vehicle crashes involves underage drinking and driving? A partnership between Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and a Penn State University professor has resulted in the creation of a guidebook to help parents support intentional conversations with their teens about the dangers of impaired driving.

According to a Penn State backgrounder on the subject, Professor Robert Turrisi has contributed his multi-year research to studying effective strategies and techniques that can help parents talk to their kids about alcohol, drugs, and other unsafe behaviors.

Contrary to popular belief, the collaboration between Turrisi and MADD supports the idea that teens do listen to their parents when it comes to important matters.

“A common misperception is that parents don't have an influence when it comes to underage drinking,” said Catrina Clemens, vice president of strategic initiatives at MADD. “But when we look at the research, we see that parents are a huge influence when it comes to their child's choices, specifically alcohol use.” 

The impact and results follow from the level of conversation parents are willing to have with their kids.

The "Power of Parents" handbook, developed by MADD and Turrisi, guides parents in fostering healthy, supportive communication. Turrisi believes the handbook is essential in helping parents "talk with their kids as opposed to at their kids."

Since its launch, the "Power of Parents" program has already reached close to half a million parents and adult figures in teens' lives, according to Penn State's analysis. In addition, the handbook has been translated into Spanish, and the content for the book has been adapted for use with middle schoolers. While the handbook focuses on discussions surrounding alcohol, it also includes information on cannabis and medication misuse. 

“These conversations do save lives,” Clemens added. “We're raising the next generation that's going to end impaired driving.”