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Take Action! Preventing alcohol and other drug problems in your family

A family works best when it sets rules and responsibilities for each member. Tension, arguments and stress — things that can contribute to problems with alcohol or other drugs — can be avoided when there are guidelines to follow.

Things You Can Do:

1. Have a set of rules for all important issues, including the use of alcohol and other drugs. You can talk about them or even write them down. The important thing is that your family has rules and everyone understands what they are.
2. Get your whole family — from the youngest to the oldest — involved in making the rules. The best rules are the ones everyone helped make.
3. Think about the expectations your family has regarding the use of alcohol, tobacco, prescribed and over-the-counter medications, and other drugs. Does everyone know them? Are they clear? Has everyone agreed to them? If not, discuss and agree on the family’s expectations and rules. You may want to talk about:
   • drinking and driving
   • smoking
   • alcohol use at parties
   • taking prescription drugs that are not yours
   • mixing alcohol with other drugs
   • getting drunk
   • serving alcohol in your home
   • using illegal drugs.
4. Talk about what will happen if rules are broken. Consider a range of consequences for each rule that is broken. Make sure the rules and consequences are consistently enforced and respected by all family members.
5. Encourage family members to ask questions to make sure they really understand the expectations and rules, and the consequences of breaking them.
6. Encourage family members to assume responsibility for their actions. Everyone should be allowed to make their own choices — and be responsible for the consequences. You can be sensitive and concerned about other family members, but don't take on responsibility for their behavior, such as their misuse of alcohol or other drugs.
7. Praise good behavior, especially when family members follow the rules about substance use.
8. Review the rules from time to time as a family, and update them if you need to. As people grow older, some rules may need to change (e.g., when teens reach the legal drinking age).