Prom, graduation, and end-of-year milestones are moments of joy, pride, and celebration. They are rites of passage—symbols of hard work, resilience, and all the promise the future holds.
But in the excitement, there’s also a very real risk that some teens will feel pressure to celebrate in dangerous or harmful ways—by trying or regularly using alcohol, vaping, THC edibles, or other substances. These aren’t just bad choices. They’re risky ones that can have life-altering consequences: overdoses, accidents, DUI charges, sexual assault, or even death.
For teens from families impacted by substance use disorders, the stakes can feel even higher.
This Is Your Moment of Glory
You’ve worked so hard to get here. You’ve pushed through challenges—maybe even some that your friends don’t know about. You deserve to celebrate your achievements with pride, not substances.
Drinking or vaping to “feel grown-up” isn’t a celebration—it’s a risk.
Getting high to “fit in” or “try it just this once” isn’t a reward—it’s a danger.
Letting someone else decide how your night goes isn’t power—it’s pressure.
The real celebration? It’s being fully present in a milestone moment you’ll remember forever.
For Parents: Prom Prep Isn’t Just About the Outfit—It’s About the Plan
We know you want your kids to have fun, feel beautiful and confident, and create lasting memories. But you also want them to come home safe, healthy, and with their future intact. Here’s how you can help them do both:
• Talk Early and Often
Start the conversation before the big night. Ask them:
o “What are your plans?”
o “Who will you be with?”
o “Do you have a plan if something feels unsafe?”
Be honest about the risks of underage drinking, substance use, and risky behaviors. Teens are more receptive than we think—especially when they feel respected, not lectured.
• Making a Safety Plan Together
Help your teen map out their night:
o Know where they’ll be and when.
o Have contact info for their friends and their friends’ parents.
o Encourage them to check in at key times—or share their location if they’re open to that.
o Make a pact: If something goes wrong, they can call you with no shame or blame—just safety first.
Connect with other parents to coordinate plans at your homes, share rides, and pool funds for a trusted adult to act as a designated driver or even as the night’s “event photographer.” That way, the night is remembered in pictures, not police reports.
• Create a Post-Prom Alcohol-Free Event
Caring adults can plan a post-prom party that continues the fun in an alcohol-free environment. Talk It Out offers some great ideas or come up with some of your own!
What About Letting Them Drink at Home?
Some parents believe it’s safer to allow teens to drink under supervision—thinking, “If they’re going to do it anyway, better it be here.” But science tells a different story.
Teen brains are still developing—especially the parts responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and long-term thinking. Alcohol and THC interfere with these critical brain functions, and early use can increase the risk of:
• Memory and learning problems
• Increased impulsivity
• Mental health struggles (like depression and anxiety)
• Greater likelihood of developing a substance use disorder later in life
Permitting alcohol use at home doesn’t protect teens—it normalizes substance use and removes natural barriers that help them say no elsewhere.
A new longitudinal study just published in the Journal of Addictive Behaviors provides great context to the impact: Age of Onset of Adolescent Alcohol Use with Parental Permission and Its Impact on Drinking and Alcohol-Harms in Young Adulthood: A Longitudinal Study.
Remember that it is best for teens to wait until the brain is fully developed, typically by age 21.
Even with good intentions, supplying alcohol to minors is not only dangerous—it’s illegal in most states and can lead to serious legal consequences for you and your child.
Give Teens the Tools to Stay Safe
• Make sure your teens have a charged phone, emergency contacts, and a way to leave a situation that feels off (Uber/Lyft account, cash, or a prepaid card).
• Encourage them to stick with a group and to make a pact: We keep each other safe. If one of us is in trouble, we call for help.
• Remind them: One risky choice can change everything—but so can one brave, healthy decision.
Additional guidance for parents and other caring adults to talk to your teens about alcohol and other related substances is provided in NACoA’s Parent’s Guide: Talking to Kids and Teens About Alcohol and Other Substances.
Final Thoughts for Families
Teens: You don’t need alcohol, vapes, gummies, or anything else to celebrate how far you’ve come. The truth is—you are the celebration. This is your season of becoming, of stepping into your future with your head held high.
Parents: You’re not just raising kids. You’re shaping the adults they’re becoming. By being present, informed, and willing to have tough conversations, you’re giving them the tools to navigate not just prom night—but life.
Let’s help this generation celebrate safely, boldly, and with their dreams intact.
