Real Talk

Dear Parents & Guardians,

Raising teenagers often brings challenges we never anticipated. Some issues, like those involving alcohol, can feel particularly daunting:

• How do I keep my teen(s) safe when it comes to alcohol?

• What’s my liability as a parent if kids drink in my home—even if I’m unaware of it?

• If I host an after-party following a school dance, are measures like breathalyzing or collecting car keys sufficient?

• How do I approach other parents to discuss specifics, such as whether alcohol will be allowed at their party or what steps they’ll take to prevent it?

• Should I contact parents if my teen is spending the night at their house, even if it embarrasses my child?

• Am I being overprotective by calling another parent?

• How do I manage my teen’s concerns about “hovering” or worrying too much?

  
  

If any of these questions resonate with you, please know you are not alone.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue of teens and alcohol, understanding your liability as a homeowner or primary renter is essential—even if you never knowingly allow alcohol in your home.

To help answer these important questions, we invite you to join us for a panel discussion on parental liability and safety regarding underage alcohol use on:

Date: Wednesday, April 16

Time: 7:00–8:30 PM

Location: LHS Studio Theater

This event will feature an engaging and informative panel, including:

• Honorable Christopher Stride and Honorable Ari Fisz – Illinois judges

• Elliot Pinsel – Defense attorney in Lake County

• An LHS varsity coach

• An LHS student

The panel will also discuss the legal case that established the Illinois Social Hosting Law, providing critical insights for parents.

As we approach spring and summer—a time filled with celebrations and gatherings—we want to support both parents and teens. This event is a collaborative effort among several organizations, including:

• District 128

• Libertyville Connect Coalition

• Lake County Health Department

• Advocate Condell

• District 70

We are also pleased to announce that several local and state elected officials will be in attendance.

Special Incentive for Students:

We encourage parents to attend with their teen(s). As an added bonus, we’ll be raffling off ten $15 gift cards to Chipotle, Starbucks, and Dunkin’ for students who attend with a parent/guardian.

Space is limited to 200 attendees, so we recommend RSVPing early. Please RSVP here.

Additionally, before the main event, we will host a Naloxone training session from 6:15–6:45 PM in the LHS library. This will provide crucial information about how to intervene in the event of an opioid overdose. This is an issue of particular importance as fentanyl deaths have increased over fourfold since 2016. Both parents and students are welcome.

We hope you’ll join us for this important and timely discussion.