If your parent or guardian brings up the issue of alcohol with you in the near future, it may be because Stanford asked them to.

The Stanford Office of Alcohol Policy and Education created a guide to better prepare parents and guardians to have conversations about alcohol use. (Image credit: Stanford Office of Alcohol Policy and Education)

Research shows that parents and guardians can have a profound influence on a student’s substance use. With that in mind, Ralph Castro and members of the Stanford Office of Alcohol Policy and Education created a guide to better prepare parents and guardians to have those conversations.

The guide was launched this past summer and was included in a parent/guardian alcohol and drug letter that went to all families of first-year students. If you’d like to read the publication, it is available through both a website and a downloadable pdf.

Castro says the publication advises parents and guardians not to be afraid of bringing up the topic of alcohol and drugs with students. Instead, your family members are encouraged to have open and frank conversations to ensure that values and expectations are clearly expressed.

This isn’t Stanford’s only effort to confront the dangers of at-risk drinking. The university also has become a JED Campus, which means it has adopted a comprehensive public health approach to supporting the emotional well-being and success of college and university students.

In addition, in February, an Alcohol Solutions Group was formed to review the university’s policies, practices and protocols. Student staff training was reshaped to include more education and skills-based learning, and additional residence deans were hired for support and care. Finally, Stanford is using donor funds to expand alcohol and drug programs and services, including Cardinal Nights and 5-SURE, to better serve the campus community.

For more information about Stanford’s alcohol-related policies and resources, visit the Office of Alcohol Policy and Education.