On Tuesday, March 17, Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) Wellness held the “Just Say Know: Alcohol” workshop over Zoom, hosted by TUHSD Wellness Director Jessica Colvin. The workshop was held to teach parents how to approach their kids on the topic of alcohol and how to reduce harm when using.

Throughout the presentation, Colvin emphasized the idea of parents being open with their kids when it comes to the topic of alcohol.

“My goal was to give them factual information and to encourage open conversation and dialogue, and to move away from the idea of just saying ‘no’ alcohol to just saying ‘know’,” Colvin said. 

The presentation, adapted from a student program used in 9th-grade life lab classes, was transformed into a parent workshop. Colvin discussed laws in Marin regarding alcohol use, such as the Good Samaritan Law, which protects people from getting arrested while helping someone in distress. The Marin Social Host Ordinance was also discussed, which holds homeowners responsible for underage substance use. 

Along with that, Colvin referred to statistics on teen drinking from the California Healthy Kids survey from 2023-2024. According to the statistics, 78 percent of 12th graders and 38 percent of 9th graders have tried alcohol more than once.

“I think having these conversations between parents and young people and stating family values is important. Just because a parent has a conversation with a teen on alcohol doesn’t mean they are condoning it or want them to do it. But it is really important that families have the information to share with their kids to help them make safer decisions,” Colvin said.

Parents who attended the workshop said they appreciated the information on the legal aspect of teen drinking in Marin County and the information on the effects of blood alcohol on the body after drinking. 

Spencer DeWoody, a licensed therapist and the wellness coordinator at Redwood, hopes that workshops and events held by TUHSD wellness can better inform parents about their students’ choices.

 “I think our hope out of these workshops is that parents are better informed about the choices their students may be making, and as a district, we take a harm reduction approach to substance use and misuse,” DeWoody said. 

The presentation gave parents tips on harm reduction for teen alcohol use, such as making a game plan with their teens when they go out to events. Colvin said that making a plan helps create clear boundaries between students and their parents.

Wellness will host another Zoom workshop for parents on mental health and underage substance use with guest Dr. Tracy Foose on May 6.