Family Information

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Talking to your student about alcohol and other drug use

In a recent survey of NDSCS students:

  • 82.3% of NDSCS students report that their parent's expectations or rules about alcohol is an effective way to limit their alcohol consumption.
  • 82.1% of NDSCS students report that their parent's expectations or rules about limiting or controlling cannabis as very or somewhat effective.
  • 87.1% of NDSCS students report that their parent's expectations or rules about other drugs is an effective way to limit their drug consumption.
  • 78.5% of NDSCS students report that their parent's expectations or rules about vaping is an effective way to limit their vaping.

Click below to read Family Matters

Learn about tips for talking to your Student About Alcohol, Cannabis & Vaping. Click here to download the Family Matters Guide.

Talking to Your Students Guide

Parent's Guide to the Teen Brain

New findings about adolescent brain development have opened up ways of thinking about teen behavior, and offer new insight into how parents can help teens understand the risks of drugs and alcohol.  For instance:

  • Scientific evidence reveals that the brain isn’t fully mature until about age 25.  The younger a person is when they begin using alcohol or other drugs, the more likely they will become dependent on that drug.
  • One of the last areas of the brain to develop is the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for processing information, making judgments, controlling impulses, and foreseeing consequences.
Rethinking Drinking (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

The NIAAA presents evidence-based information about risky drinking patterns, the alcohol content of drinks, and the signs of an alcohol problem, along with information about medications and other resources to help people who choose to cut back or quit drinking.  The site also features interactive tools, such as calculators for measuring alcohol calories and drink sizes.

North Dakota Higher Education Consortium for Substance Abuse Prevention

An initiative of the North Dakota University System, advocates for stronger prevention policies, collaborates in campus-community partnerships, and assists members of the consortium to develop assessment-based prevention programs.

**NDSCS ATOD Prevention Team. (2017). NDSCS Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Survey Report. Wahpeton, ND: ND Higher Education Consortium for Substance Abuse Prevention.


North Dakota Parents LEAD

Parents LEAD is a program designed to be a resource for parents and includes tips for starting the conversation, handling questions from children and suggestions for prevention measures that are effective for children at their individual developmental stages.

Please see the North Dakota Parents LEAD (Listen, Educate, Ask, Discuss) website for more information on how to start this conversation.

Parents Lead