Alcohol is not difficult for kids to get. Over 50% of eighth graders said it was fairly easy or very easy to obtain alcohol.

When you do not monitor the amount of alcohol in your home it is easier for teens to drink without you being aware of what is happening.

Do not allow kids to have parties in your home that are not chaperoned. You may find that your kids disagree with this policy and tell you that all their friends have unsupervised parties.

Stand firm with your decision and do not change your mind. Make sure your child knows what the consequences are if they break this rule.

You want to set a reasonable punishment but not one that will shut down all lines of communication. Be consistent and your child will know that you are serious about the rules and the breaking of them.

One of the best things you can do is to set a good example for your kids. They are always watching the way you use alcohol. If they see you abusing alcohol they may be more likely to do the same.

When kids watch parents drive after drinking they will think it is not a problem. Don’t make jokes about drinking or tell your kids stories about drinking while you were in high school.

Want to find more information on how to stop drinking then visit http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/ 

It happens and sometimes it is a tragic choice.  If you know that your child has a problem with alcohol and has been drinking and driving you need to take measures to put an end to this behavior.

What can you do if you discover your teen has been drinking and driving and is not willing to get help?  You have grounded the teen, taken away the car, enforced a curfew and made sure there is no alcohol in the house.  You are sure there is still a problem and don’t know what to do next.

Here are a few suggestions:

Stop all the excuses.  Many times family members will make excuses to try and cover up or protect the drinker.  It is hard to come to terms with the fact that your son or daughter has a drinking problem but it won’t do anyone any good to keep covering up the truth.  Your child needs to start taking responsibility for his/her actions.

While there may not be a perfect time to talk to your teen there are times that are better than others.  It won’t help to talk to your child while she is drunk.

The best time may not be when he is surrounded by friends.  Talk to your son or daughter shortly after the alcohol-related incident.  Try to stay calm and discuss the problem without getting really angry and raising your voice.

You should be very specific when talking about the problem.  Let your son or daughter know exactly why you are concerned and use examples of the ways in which his/her drinking has caused problems.  Talk about the seriousness of drinking and driving.

Tell your child what you will and won’t do concerning the situation.  If both parents will be involved in the conversation make sure you are in agreement of what will happen if the teen does not agree to getting the help needed.  Don’t use any threats that you can’t or won’t go through with.

Have information with you.  Research all the options before you talk with your teen.  Talk to your family doctor or an counselor who specializes in alcohol treatment.  Know what help is available and which one you think would be the best.

Be prepared for a battle.  Most teens will not want to admit that there is a problem.

They do not consider drinking and driving to be especially dangerous because they are pretty sure nothing will ever happen to them.  They will not want to change their lives, make new friends and stop drinking.  Be prepared to stand your ground.

Find support for your child and also for the rest of your family.  You need to know that you are not alone and there are all kinds of resources for families.  Drinking can cause broken relationships and these need to be mended.  Counseling can help put families back together.

If you have been having recurring problems with your teen, alcohol, and drinking and driving, there are ways to provide the help he/she needs.

Want to find more information on how to stop drinking then visit http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/ 

Drinking and driving kills lives.

If you are old enough to drive, you know about the dangers of drunk driving. If you are old enough to drive AND old enough to drink alcohol, you must be aware of how dangerous it is to drink and drive a car.

The consequences can be so incredibly severe. No one wants to hurt themselves or anybody else and the fact is, when you drink, your ability to make good decisions can be impaired. Getting behind the wheel of a car after drinking alcohol is incredibly dangerous and stupid.

Having said that, I also know that it happens. It happens all the time. You can almost be certain that if you are driving home late at night, someone driving on the same road with you has probably had too much to drink.

Nobody believes that they will really get stopped. They don’t feel intoxicated, so they assume that they aren’t. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Drunk driving offenses can have far reaching effects on our lives. If you are stopped for drink driving, besides the embarrassing and humiliating arrest process, you will also face many legal challenges as well.

You can lose your license. You can lose your job especially if your job involves driving. It can affect your future job prospects. It can have devastating effects on your finances. Not only the fines and costs associated with the offense, but car insurance rates as well.

The best solution of course is to not get behind the wheel of a car if you have consumed any alcohol. Its just that simple. But if you do make that mistake, try to get all the information you can about your states laws and regulations with respect to drunk driving.

Find out if there is any way to minimize the effects a conviction will have on the rest of your life. Find out if its possible to have the conviction expunged from your record after a certain amount of time. All 50 states are different and have different rules.

Knowledge is the key. Don’t just rely on what the court tells you. Do the research on your own and find out hat you can that may be able to help you minimize a bad situation.

Jennie Crawford is the stay at home mom of two small children. For more information, go to http://www.jenniecrawford.com/duiprocessmanuel

Want to find more information on how to stop drinking then visit http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/ 
 

Don’t do it, unless you want to end up like this.

Just a quick message to thank everyone for stopping by over the last year and reading our posts.  Stop Drinking Advice would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Very disturbing facts but they are very true: 1 out of 3 traffic fatalities is alcohol-related

 Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.
- Bob Marley

Some really exciting news just in  - StopDrinkingAdvice.org press release has made the front page on Google News. To read more about this press release visit Google News

Police across the country have today launched their annual crackdown on drink and drug driving.

The start of the festive season will see officers taking part in random roadside stop-checks which will last until the end of the new year celebrations.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) and Department for Transport (DfT) have joined forces in an effort to raise awareness through a £1.5 million Drink Drive campaign throughout December, which includes TV, cinema, radio, online, cinema and in-pub advertising.

Young male drivers are being particularly targeted by the new campaign, as research shows that 36 per cent of male breath test failures in 2005 were aged between 17 and 29.

"During 30 years of our innovative, award-winning Think! campaigns, we have more than halved the number of people killed in alcohol-related road accidents each year," transport secretary Douglas Alexander said ahead of today’s launch.

"This is a great achievement, but we will not be satisfied until we are sure everyone understands the risk of driving even after one drink.

"What the Think! campaign is saying to drivers is very simple: enjoy the Christmas season, but remember drinking and driving do not mix. With prison sentences of up to six months for those caught over the limit, drink driving is an unnecessary gamble to take."

Recent changes in the law mean that blood samples taken from unconscious drink-drive suspects can now be taken without consent and officers also have extended powers to carry out roadside evidential breathtesting.

And drivers have been warned that police will be out in force over Christmas, as anyone involved in an accident this month are more likely to be breathalysed.

Last December, 9,275 drivers tested positive for alcohol and went on to face court proceedings.

"Drink driving is an issue all year, but with the more relaxed atmosphere during the festive season, the temptation to offend becomes greater," said PC Steve Rogers, of West Midlands police’s road policing unit.

The current British legal limit for drivers is 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. Read More

Want to find more information on how to stop drinking then visit  http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/