The time has finally arrived to send your kid off to high school or maybe even to college. You may have anticipated this moment back in the days when he or she was still crawling on all fours and had a vocabulary limited to practical words like “mama,” “daddy” and “cookie.” Now, your kid is practically an adult, walks upright, and knows some words that can get them into trouble. Like “fake ID,” “happy hour” and “two-for-one drink specials.”

Beer is still a favorite with teen-age boys, just like when their parents were young. Instead of wine coolers, new malt liquor drinks like Skyy Blue and Smirnoff Ice are popular with girls these days.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that alcohol is a factor in 1,400 deaths, 500,000 injuries, and 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape on college campuses each year. We all know that some kids don’t wait until college to start drinking; by high school a lot of them are drinking regularly. Unfortunately, this is when they are getting their licenses to drive. Inexperienced drivers plus alcohol equals more than 2,300 deaths a year in the United States, directly related to teen-age drinking.

A few years ago, I was working as a nurse practitioner at the University of Oregon student health center. I worked in the women’s clinic every Monday morning. In between the routine gynecology and contraceptive counseling appointments, it was pretty common to see at least one young woman who was in tears before I walked into the exam room. Her story was always a variation on this theme: “I drank too much alcohol, then ended up having sex with a guy I hardly know on Saturday night.” The next morning: guilt, shame and embarrassment. Then the fear set in: fear of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and AIDS.

On Monday afternoons, I worked downstairs in the general clinic. That’s were we saw male students with various injuries: a broken finger from punching a wall, a sprained ankle from jumping out a window, a black eye from fighting with a friend. These were the minor problems, the ones that could wait until Monday. The serious injuries already ended up in the local ER late Friday or Saturday night. The common theme: too much alcohol caused poor judgment and regrettable actions.

Although the makers of alcoholic beverages insist that they don’t market their products to people under age 21, it is obvious they do. Check out Sports Illustrated or Rolling Stone magazine; attend a sporting event or rock concert and you’ll be amazed at the amount of alcohol being advertised.

Adults need to start talking to their children about alcohol use at an early age. Don’t pass up “teachable moments.” If you and your child see an obviously drunken person on the street, explain to your child that some people drink too much alcohol and can’t control themselves. If someone you know is hurt or killed in an accident involving alcohol, don’t shield your child from that fact. Kids need to learn that although alcohol is legal, it is a drug like any other and one that can cause serious problems.

Alcohol and drug use by teen-agers and young adults stunts their emotional and mental growth. People who start abusing these substances at a young age remain emotionally immature.

If you think your underage child is drinking, don’t ignore it. Sit down with them when you are calm and they are sober, and make clear your rules and expectations. Make sure they are familiar with terms like “DUI,” “designated driver” and “no thanks, I don’t drink.”

For more information about talking to your kids about drinking, see the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence web site at http://www.ncadd.org/facts/index.html.

Kathryn B. Brown is a family nurse practitioner with a master’s degree in nursing from OHSU. Is there a health topic you would like to read about? Send your idea to kbbrown@eastoregonian.com.