Addiction & Recovery 9.14.25 - Flipbook - Page 10
10 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Sunday, September 14, 2025
Talking to Your College Freshman
About Drugs and Alcohol
Non-judgmental approach may open doors to discussion
By Emily Parks, Contributing Writer
T
he to-do list is long to get
your incoming freshman
student ready for college.
There are all the items to
buy for the dorm room, roommates
to meet, classes to register for, and
orientations to attend to prepare for
their first year at school.
Parents can also help their student
feel ready to navigate parties and
events where alcohol and drugs may
be prevalent.
According to the 2023 National
Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), of full-time college students
ages 18 to 25, 49.6% drank alcohol
and 29.3% engaged in binge drinking in the past month. The National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) defines binge drinking
as a pattern of drinking alcohol that
brings the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08%, or 0.08 grams
of alcohol per deciliter, or higher. For
a typical adult, this means consuming
five or more drinks (male) or four or
more drinks (female), in about two
hours.
Parents and trusted adults play
an essential role as trusted messengers. They can provide information
about safety and how to make smart,
informed choices. But how should
parents approach the conversation
about encountering drugs and alcohol on campus? How to start the
conversation?
Be intentional. Zachary Hitchens,
M.S., LCADC, a psychotherapist
for Towson University’s Counseling
Center, says this can be done by setting aside time to ask how they plan
to maintain their health and well-being in school.
“Ask if they’ve thought about if
they drink, what it would look like,”
he says. “Talk about the specific substances and what their child thinks
about them.”
Hitchens encourages parents to be
consistent and not contradict themselves. “If your expectation is no substances, don’t say ‘well, just don’t get
too drunk,’” he says. “Share your expectations regarding the use of drugs
and alcohol.”
Scare tactics are not the best way
to approach the subject. Don’t let
the conversation turn into a lecture.
“Try to avoid language or questions
that seem judgmental,” Lizzy Blake,
LCSW-C, a therapist with experience
in treating substance abuse, advises. “If they feel judged, they won’t
be open to a conversation.” Punishments and threats regarding their
drinking may make them hesitant to
reach out in the future.
“Statements like ‘Anyone who
drinks too much is irresponsible, and
no one in our family would ever behave that way’ will shut down communication,” she adds.
Instead, she suggests asking questions about their plan for different
scenarios without dictating what
they should or shouldn’t do.
Brian G. and his wife, Amy (not
their real names), agree. They were
nervous about talking about drugs
and alcohol in college with their
child, Alex (also not their real name).
Alex was getting ready to head off to
their freshman year at a state university, and Brian and Amy wanted to
Talking to your college freshman
continued on page 13
