Help your teens make New Year's Eve fun - and booze free

As we turn our attentions from Christmas to New Year's Eve, plenty of us will be stocking up on champagne, wine and other adult beverages to ring in 2020. And so are some of our teens.

Posted 2:00 a.m. Dec 26, 2019 — Updated 2:00 a.m. Dec 26, 2019

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

, Go Ask Mom editor

As we turn our attentions from Christmas to New Year's Eve, plenty of us will be stocking up on champagne, wine and other adult beverages to ring in 2020. And so are some of our teens.

Here are some teen drinking facts, courtesy of Talk It Out NC:

The average age most teens try alcohol for the first time is just 14.
10% of 12-year-olds admit they have tried alcohol.
More teens die as a result of alcohol use than all other illicit drugs combined.

And while even some adults might brush aside underage drinking as just another rite of passage, there can be serious, life-long implications when teens start drinking.

Consider these statistics, about alcohol and the teen brain on Talk It Out's website:

Underage drinking can "wire" the brain for alcoholism. Kids who drink before the age of 15 have a 40% chance of becoming an alcoholic. If they wait until age 21, that age drops to 7%.
Drinking alcohol can cause decreased brain activity. Remember: Our brains continue developing until our mid-20s.
Because teens are less sedated by alcohol than adults and alcohol reduces social anxiety in teens better than adults, teens are more likely to binge drink, which can lead to blackouts, unwanted sexual activity, fights, driving while intoxicated and more.

So, now is the time to have some conversations with your kids about healthy ways to celebrate the new year. Talk It Out suggests six ways to help them find better ways to celebrate:

Setting up drink stations and let kids make their own mocktails. Stay tuned on Friday for three recipes.
Create a holiday photo backdrop for selfies, complete with props.
Set up a cookie-decorating station and serve other holiday-themed foods.
Lock up liquor not being served to avoid teenage temptation.
Be responsible when it comes to alcohol and set a good example. Think about your own drinking habits and how they may influence your teen's behavior.
Take the Talk It Out Pledge with your teen before the party.

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