Developing Brains

Underage drinking can harm developing brains. Keep your child’s future bright and let them know your rules about not drinking alcohol underage.

Magic Window

Kids start forming opinions about alcohol between the ages of 9-13. During that magic window, start the conversation and communicate your complete disapproval of underage drinking.

N-O Spells No

Now is the time! Let your kids know that you completely disapprove of underage drinking—to protect their healthy, developing brain.

Number 13

It’s never too late to start a conversation with your child about the harms of drinking alcohol underage.

Strong

It might seem young, but ages 9-13 are the magic numbers to start letting your kids know about your STRONG disapproval of underage drinking.

Today’s Number

Ages 9-13 are the magic numbers. Start an ongoing conversation with your kids about not drinking alcohol underage.

Start early

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends talking to kids about underage drinking as early as age 9.1 Research shows kids are making up their minds about alcohol between the ages of 9 to 13 and those perceptions can become more favorable as they mature. And if they view it as pleasurable, they’re much more likely to drink underage.2 If your child is older, it’s never too late to start the discussion.

All kids need a parent’s help to stay alcohol-free

As a parent, you can help keep kids’ brains healthy and their futures bright, free from the harms of alcohol.

Here’s how:

Know and teach the harms early

Research shows you should talk to your kids about alcohol as early as age 9.2

Teach the Harms

Have fun together

When you spend time in your child’s world, they’ll listen when you speak from yours.

Have Fun

Set clear no-alcohol rules

Have a chat tonight. Make your disapproval of underage drinking clear by setting rules against it.

Chat & Set Rules

Know what your kids are doing

Get involved in your child’s activities—ask the 5 Ws and know what’s going on.

Check In
Picture of kid with a backpack

Your influence is powerful

That’s the great news! Utah kids report the number one reason they choose not to drink is their parents’ strong disapproval.3

 

Picture of kid with a backpack

Why prevent underage drinking?

Because it protects a child’s future. Alcohol affects a young, still developing brain very differently than an adult’s brain, impairing proper development and increasing risks of addiction, depression, suicide, injury, violence, academic problems and more.4

Learn the Harms

How can I help prevent my kid from drinking underage?

Here are some suggestions that can help keep your child alcohol-free. Spend fun time together, set clear “no alcohol” rules and stay involved in your kid’s life.

Learn How

Resources

Get the tools and help you need to prevent underage drinking here—everything from conversation starters, podcasts, games to play, videos to watch and so much more.

Resources

Social media updates

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

Join us at Surf ‘N Swim this Saturday, June 10 for a FREE event featuring food, prizes and of course swimming! #ParentsEmpowered #SurfNSwim

Register here: bit.ly/surfnswim
See MoreSee Less

Join us at Surf ‘N Swim this Saturday, June 10 for a FREE event featuring food, prizes and of course swimming! #ParentsEmpowered #SurfNSwim
 
Register here: https://bit.ly/surfnswim

In partnership with UMC and the Tooele City Communities That Care Prevention Coalition, Parents Empowered brought together almost a dozen local businesses throughout the area to create awareness about the harms of underage drinking. In Tooele County, about 1 in 5 kids have reported using alcohol in their lifetime — 33% higher than the statewide average. #ParentsEmpowered #CommunitiesThatCare See MoreSee Less

Love is love. Protect queer kids.❤️ This month we celebrate #PrideMonth. No matter your gender identity, sexual or romantic attraction, you deserve to be proud of who you are. Share this with your child and comment below the first three names you find! This is a great activity to do with your child. Research shows that children who feel close to their parents/guardians are less likely to consume alcohol underage.

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah #PrideMonth #Pride #UtahPride
See MoreSee Less

Love is love. Protect queer kids.❤️  This month we celebrate #PrideMonth. No matter your gender identity, sexual or romantic attraction, you deserve to be proud of who you are. Share this with your child and comment below the first three names you find! This is a great activity to do with your child. Research shows that children who feel close to their parents/guardians are less likely to consume alcohol underage.
 
#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah #PrideMonth #Pride #UtahPride

Don’t forget to grab your stars! 🌟 🇺🇸 We honor those who have served in the United States armed forces and sacrificed themselves for this country. Take this time to teach your kids about why Memorial Day is celebrated in the US. Having regular chats with your kids helps them feel comfortable talking to their parents. Kids who can talk to their parents about anything are less likely to drink alcohol underage.

#ParentsEmpowered #UnderageDrinkingPrevention #Utah #MemorialDay
See MoreSee Less

In the News

Underage drinking can be a serious threat to our children and communities. Learn about the latest research and efforts to prevent it.

ABC4 David Wakins TV Coverage

Fox13 SeaQuest Coverage

KUTV Springbreak Takeover

KUTV Alcohol Awareness Month

Fresh Living TV Coverage

DABC TV Coverage

Load More

About Us

Our goal is to eliminate underage drinking in Utah. We do that by empowering parents to use the tremendous influence they have to keep their children alcohol-free.

Learn More

Our Partners

The Parents Empowered Mission

Meet Tiffany Clason. She’s the Executive Director at the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS). But she’s also a mom. She knows that parents staying involved and having those important “no underage drinking” conversations are crucial to a child’s future success.

Sources

1 Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention [SHARP] Survey, 2019.
2 https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/136/3/e718

View More

3 Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention [SHARP] Survey, 2019.
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK37591/

View Less