Even though college students are young adults, parents and other caregivers can still play an important role in helping students make healthy decisions during the college years. Research is emerging which shows that influential adults are very influential in college student drinking behaviors, and that positive communication about substance use leads to reduced problems caused by alcohol and other drug use.
At Ithaca College, we take a proactive approach by providing families of our incoming first year students with a handbook entitled, “Talking with College Students About Alcohol,”* to help you have these important conversations with their students. This handbook has been tested extensively in research at colleges and universities throughout the United States and is supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The PDF can be viewed or downloaded via the link below.
Check out these additional web resources we've made available to our parents:
Supporting Your College Student: Tips for parents and families on how best to support your student during the college years.
Alcohol Edu for Parents: Resources and tips for parents of college students.
An up-to-date listing of Alcohol & Other Drug Programs and Treatment Services on the IC campus and in the local community. (You can download the brochure from the sidebar on the right hand side of this page).
College Parents Matter: Tools and Scripts to Improve Communication with your College Student - A terrific website created by researchers at the University of Maryland.
If You Think They're Using: Young Adults 19-25: Tips from the experts on how to help your college-aged student get help for a substance-related problem.
YouTube: The Sound of Your Voice - A brief video by SAMHSA to encourage parents and other concerned adults to talk with college-bound teens about alcohol use.
Downloadable resources are available below.