Parents Talk: Teenage Alcohol, Substance Abuse

Parents Talk is a new feature on Patch that's part of an initiative to build a community of support for families in Fairfield County.

Each week in Parents Talk, our parent council comprised of local residents will take your questions, give advice and share solutions on a variety of issues affecting children and families.

Moms, dads, grandparents and many diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, how to deal with tough situations, how to find the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

Parents Talk will also be the place to drop in for a chat about the latest parenting hot topic. Where can we get information on local flu shot clinics for children? How do we talk to our children about underage drinking? How can we help our children's schools weather their budget cutbacks?

Today's topic is alcohol and substance abuse among our high school students. What should school administrators do to address the problem? What about police youth officers? Parents? What's the root of the problem?

Parents Council members are on line to chat with you now! Please use the comment box below for questions, or to share your experiences and the lessons you have learned. Please also submit questions or topics for future discussions to Associate Regional Editor Liz Mitchell at liz@patch.com and Regional Editor Michael Dinan at michaeld@patch.com. And, if you'd like to join our parent council, let us know!