According to data from the 2009 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, 35% of high school students in Portland have used alcohol in the past 30 days; 21% have binged in that same time period, consuming 5 or more drinks. For seniors, those figures climb to 46% and 26%, respectively.

All Maine youth are at risk for underage drinking. The good news is that parents are the #1 influence in their teens' lives.

Make sure your teen knows that you think underage drinking is wrong. In Portland, 81% of students surveyed say their parents talk to them about their school work every single day. In contrast, only 43% of students say their parents talked to them about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol or drug use during the past 12 months.

Make sure your teen knows that you're paying attention to their activities and their behavior. Youth are three times less likely to drink if they believe they will be caught. Get to know your teen's friends and their parents, and talk to them about your rules and expectations. Check in with your teen about their plans before they go out, whether there will be adult supervision, and whether there will be alcohol. Be awake at curfew time to talk to your teen about their night.

These actions are just a few ways you can prevent your teen from using drugs and alcohol.

Check out PortlandPreventionTips.org and explore the resources below to learn more ways to prevent underage drinking and create a healthy environment for our youth.