Wednesday, April 21, 1999
Problems at proms preventable
BY SUE MacDONALD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Parents can talk until they're blue in the face, but all the talking in the world isn't necessarily going to make a difference in the lives of teen-agers who may be faced with beer blasts, drunken dates, hotel-room parties and other prom-night temptations.
Prom time, Cincinnati physician Dr. Lee Lautman says, is prime time for parental action.
“Talking doesn't do the trick,” ” says Dr. Lautman, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Group Health Associates who has spearheaded a three-year educational program on prom-related responsibility for Tristate parents. “This is beyond talking. You need to be involved.
“We're at the point now, with prom time close by, that you need to be involved. You need to be interested in your teen's plans. Help them make decisions, help them make the right choices and do whatever you need to do to protect your kids.”
Teen-agers may smirk, shrug their shoulders and act angry at parental intrusion into their lives and prom plans, he says, but deep down they want to know someone is concerned, someone cares and someone will be available to help if they get into trouble.
“This is a very high-risk time for teen-agers,” he says, “not only with sexual activity but also for alcohol and drugs and the consequences of all those things.”
He started the prom-parent education program three years ago because he sees the consequences of after-prom activities: pregnant teens, teens with sexually transmitted diseases, teens injured in car accidents or dealing with drug/alcohol problems.
Alcohol and drug education programs do a good job warning teens about irresponsible drug use and drinking, he says, but many teens still don't understand that 1 million of their peers become pregnant every year or that 3 million teens contract sexually transmitted diseases, mainly chlamydia and genital warts.
Parents who intervene can help prevent many of the problems that spring from proms. Among his tips:
• Establish rules about curfews. Make sure your teens know you will not tolerate alcohol/drug use or their attendance at unsupervised parties.
• Before prom night, establish consequences for breaking rules. If rules are broken, make sure the penalties are enforced.
• Be frank, tactful and respectful, but let your teens know specifically how you expect them to act on prom night.
• “Don't rent hotel rooms. Don't stock the bar. Don't leave your teens in dangerous situations,” Dr. Lautman says. Agree to pick up your teen, no questions asked, if he or she calls and needs a ride home from any situation.
• Know who your teen will be with, including the friends of your teen's date. Talk to the parents of other teens and make sure you all agree beforehand to the same rules and consequences.
• Take advantage of supervised, all-night after-prom parties and activities sponsored at many schools. The goal is to let teens have fun in supervised, risk-free activities and locations.
“Prevention is the key,” he says. “Know where your kids are, who they're with and what they're doing.”
FREE TIPS
Group Health Associates offers a free brochure for parents on how to protect teens from risky behaviors on prom night. Call 841-6465 and leave a Prom Line voice-mail message with your name, address and telephone number; a pamphlet will be mailed to you. It also will be available at www.cgha.com, GHA's Web site.
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