What is the responsibility of parents in adolescent AOD education?

• A. Ignore children's drinking habits.
• B. Provide alcohol to them to 'teach responsibility'.
• C. Restrict all communication.
• D. Model healthy behaviour, maintain open communication, set clear rules, monitor safety.

Answer: (D)

Helping adolescents learn to navigate alcohol and other drugs works best when parents actively participate in guidance. Modeling healthy behaviour means showing how to handle situations responsibly, talking about risks and decision-making, and avoiding messaging that normalises unsafe drinking. Keeping communication open builds trust so teens feel comfortable asking questions and sharing what they’re facing, which helps prevent risky choices. Setting clear rules about alcohol and drugs gives teens boundaries and consistent consequences, and involving them in the rules increases their ownership and willingness to follow them. Monitoring safety—knowing where they are, who they’re with, and having reasonable check-ins—helps protect them and supports safer decisions. Ignoring habits, providing alcohol to “teach responsibility,” or cutting off communication are not helpful because they miss opportunities for guidance, can increase risk, and reduce the teen’s sense of support.