After a long semester, your child is looking forward to spring break as a time to relax, catch up on work, or have some fun. There are many different options that your child can choose from to enjoy time off from school. While many students travel locally, visit friends, or go home, some students go on trips that are centered on alcohol.

No matter what they choose to do for spring break, many students might feel that having this time to “unwind” gives them permission to drink even though they are underage or if they are of legal age, to drink a lot more than usual.

For students who vacation with friends, spring break is often associated with high-risk drinking, risky behaviors, and a lack of supervision. These trips are often focused on the use of alcohol as students travel to destinations in the U.S. where attitudes about underage drinking may be more relaxed or access to alcohol may be easier. Some trips may involve travel to other countries where underage students can drink legally or they can drink cheaply.

Students who travel with their friends tend to drink more heavily and more often, compared with students who stay home or vacation with their families.1 There might be heightened pressure to engage in excessive drinking and unsafe alcohol use. As a family member, it’s natural to be concerned about these trips and the safety and well-being of your child. You might be told by your child that you don’t have permission to be concerned because they are not a minor anymore. But give yourself permission to be concerned!

It is important to engage in conversations before your child makes decisions about spring break so that you and your child will be comfortable with decisions regarding spring break. Start asking your child about spring break several weeks ahead of time. With the exception of needing financial assistance for their trip, students might or might not volunteer information about their plans without being asked.

Whether or not your child knows how he/she wants to spend spring break, you should set up a time to speak with your child about this topic only. Before you speak with your child, you should be aware of the risky behaviors that sometimes occur on spring break and be able to suggest some non-alcohol focused alternatives. Many schools organize alternative spring break trips and these can be found on school websites, email lists, or through specific campus organizations.