Keep Scarsdale Teens Safe on Halloween Weekend

“Halloweekend” or the weekend closest to Halloween (October 31st) has unfortunately become synonymous with alcohol and drug use by many Scarsdale teens. The Scarsdale Action for Youth, in partnership with its community partners, encourages you to help keep our teens and young adults safe this Halloween.

Teens as young as 12 years old use Halloweekend as a reason to experiment with alcohol, while older teens use it as an occasion to binge drink. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, 94% of underage drinking meets the criteria for binge drinking. While younger teens usually obtain alcohol from their homes, older teens often obtain large amounts of alcohol using Fake IDs.

Teens will often “pre-game” in small groups in homes with less supervision or more permissive parental attitudes, before heading to larger gatherings. During Halloweekend, intoxicated teens often roam Scarsdale neighborhood streets in the dark, further impacting their health and safety.

Underage drinking and drug use in any amount is dangerous and is not an expected part of growing up or a “right of passage.” Studies have shown that the early initiation of alcohol use increases a teen’s chances of developing drug and alcohol problem behaviors, including addiction, as they get older. There is no such thing as “responsible teen drinking.

Here's what parents can do:

-Talk to your teens about their Halloween plans and about the dangers of alcohol and drug use.

-Lock up any alcohol and drugs (including prescriptions) in your home.

-If you host a party, please make sure you provide proper ADULT supervision. Under New York’s Social Host Law, homeowners can be held legally responsible for any underage drinking or drug use on their property, and if someone gets injured, they can be held civilly liable.

-Consider hiring off-duty police officers to ensure your party does not grow beyond a size that you can supervise.

-Let your teens know they can contact you at any time, without consequence, if they or friends are using drugs or alcohol and need help.

-Please do not try to sober someone up with food or water. Food and water can cause choking.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Advise your teens to call 911 IMMEDIATELY if one of their friends is passed out or is unresponsive. Westchester County has a Good Samaritan law that protects teens from legal consequences if they are seeking help.