Parenting Teens: 4 Ways to Discuss Drinking and Driving

As a parent, it is definitely your responsibility to discuss the issue of drinking and driving with your teenager. However, anyone who has ever had a teen understands it can be very difficult to get through to them, especially about topics relating to alcohol and drugs. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider the best way to approach this topic so that your teenager actually keeps an open mind and listens to you instead of shutting down immediately. The following are some ways that can help when discussing this topic with your teen.

 

1. Make them Aware of the Legalities of this Crime 

Many teenage drivers assume that getting a DUI is not actually a very big deal because many celebrities are able to walk away from these incidents with nothing more than a legal slap on the wrist. Due to this, you will need to have facts in front of you that illustrate the actual penalties for an underage DUI in your state. For example, teenage drivers in Minnesota are held responsible to adhering to the state’s zero-tolerance laws.

 

This means that even half of a drink can cause them to get arrested and have their license taken away. Additionally, they could be facing a large fine and even time in a juvenile correction facility. If your teen gets arrested for a DUI, it would be good to contact a juvenile crimes lawyer such as Kevin W. DeVore, an experienced Minnesota defense attorney, to help them get an acquittal or a reduced sentence so that they do not end up paying for it for the rest of their life.

 

 

2. Tell Them a Personal Story 

If anyone in your life has ever gotten into trouble because of a DUI, you should strongly consider using their story to help your teen learn that drinking and driving is a real issue that can have serious consequences. In fact, letting your teenager speak to someone they know who has been convicted of a DUI could have a big impact on whether or not they will ever get behind the wheel while they are intoxicated.

 

 

3. Utilize News Stories about Teenagers 

It is common for teens to view themselves as almost a separate species from adults. Therefore, you will get much further with them if you use news that stories about teenagers who have gotten in trouble for a DUI in lieu of simply pointing out the dangers of drinking and driving. If possible, you should discuss a situation with them that involved a teen driver their age that either lost their life or killed someone as a result of driving under the influence.

 

 

4. Provide them with a Safety Plan 

It is unrealistic to assume that simply speaking to your teen about DUIs will prevent them from drinking. Because of this, you should strongly consider offering them a safety plan that includes being able to call for a ride home without getting into serious trouble.

 

It is very important for you to take every possible step to protect your teenager, but you also need to enable them to live a normal life. Therefore, discussing the danger of a DUI with them is critical, and you should also immediately retain legal representation if your teen is ever arrested for drinking and driving.

 

 

As a mother to 3 teens, Lisa Coleman understands and shares the importance of successfully discussing DUI with them, including the legalities that can occur. She recently read about how Kevin W. DeVore, a Minnesota criminal defense attorney, can legally help when a minor is faced with this kind of charge.

 

 

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Categories: communicating, defense attorney, Drinking, Driving, DUI, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, parenting teens, teen, teenage drivers, teenager, Teenagers

Teens and Drug Use: How to Help Them Recover

Although many parents would like to think otherwise, it is extremely common for teenagers to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Therefore, you need to be prepared for the possibility that your teen could get into legal trouble, and you will also want to remain alert for any potential warning signs of a developing substance abuse problem.

 

Keep in mind that the reaction that you have to the topic of drugs will have a big impact on whether or not your teenager feels comfortable enough to be honest with you. In other words, you will need to carefully approach the subject without giving them a free pass to do whatever they want.

 

Teens Charged with Possession

Regardless of whether your teenager has an issue with drugs or was simply experimenting for the first time, you will need to give them your support if they get arrested for possession or underage drinking. After all, if they do not obtain experienced legal representation, they could end up dealing with the ramifications of their bad decision for the rest of their life. Therefore, you will need to put your anger at the situation aside and step up to protect them.

 

 

The best way to ensure that your teen makes it through the legal process with help is to hire an experienced juvenile criminal defense attorney. Your attorney should be knowledgeable and have a solid track record within your area. For example, look for a well-known juvenile defense attorney in Orlando when facing charges in that area due to their knowledge and reputation with local judges and prosecuting attorneys in the Orlando court systems. Sometimes, reputation can make a difference for first time juvenile offenders. In fact, if your lawyer builds the right defense, it is possible that your teenager will only need to deal with probation.

 

Tips for Discussing Drug Usage with Your Teen

 

1. Be Honest 

It is always important to avoid saying something hypocritical when you are discussing drugs and drinking with your children. After all, if your teen has ever seen you drink, your argument against underage imbibing will be severely weakened if you simply use the defense of being a legal adult. Instead, you should consider telling your teenager a story that illustrates some of the consequences that you have faced in the past for drinking.

 

2. Stay Calm

It is easy to fly off the handle when your teenager is busted with drugs, but exploding at them is only going to make them want to retreat further into their own bubble. Instead, you should let them know that you understand the allure of experimenting with something new, but make sure that you also make it clear that doing something illegal is a really bad idea.

 

 

3. Discuss the Facts 

Many teenagers believe that they could never end up addicted to drugs or alcohol. To dispel this myth, you should consider letting them see firsthand how awful drug abuse can be. For example, if you have a bad area of town where homeless drug addicts are known to congregate, you could drive them through that area so that they can see how many different types of people have ruined their lives with drugs.

 

As long as you are open with your teenager and encourage them to talk to you about drugs and alcohol, you should be able to help prevent them from ending up in legal trouble. However, if an issue still occurs, it is always best to hire a juvenile criminal defense attorney to help protect your teen’s future.

 

With 3 teens, Lisa Coleman understands the heartache that can accompany the teen years, such as bullying, peer pressure, and the curiosity of alcohol and drugs. She recently researched online at http://www.orlandocriminalteam.com/ about the difference hiring an experienced and well established juvenile attorney in a person’s local area can make for a case of a first time offender faced with possession charges, and how it can result in probation time only.

 

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Categories: Alcohol, criminal defense, defense attorney, drug possession, drugs, juvenile criminal, juvenile defense attorney, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, talking with teens, teens