PARIS – A recent meeting to discuss the results of an Oxford County substance abuse survey produced some big ideas, Community Concepts’ Joan Churchill said.

“We had a smaller group but a great discussion regarding the results of the Oxford County substance abuse needs assessment and what parents can do to deter underage drinking,” said Churchill, director of development and family services at Community Concepts in Paris.

Community Concepts and Healthy Oxford Hills co-sponsored a public forum last week to discuss the results of the assessment. It showed 29 percent of Oxford County students who took the survey, which was released in February, used alcohol in the previous 30 days, 14 percent had used marijuana, 14 percent had binged on alcohol within the previous two weeks and 13 percent had used inhalants at one time. Twelve percent of students surveyed reported they had abused prescription drugs.

Most disturbing to many local law officials was that 17 percent of sixth-grade students have used alcohol, 27 percent of seventh-graders have consumed alcohol, and the number increased with each successive grade up through 12, where 75 percent said they have used alcohol. None of the sixth-graders reported using marijuana, but almost half of the senior class members had.

The survey on adolescent and adult alcohol and drug use was conducted by several Oxford County nonprofit organizations, including Community Concepts, Healthy Oxford Hills and the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition to develop a countywide strategic substance abuse prevention plan.

Last week’s meeting provided parents an opportunity to learn what they could do to prevent their children from using illegal substances.

“Basically the approach is one of discussing the risks of using alcohol at an early age and then partnering with their children to make it harder for youth to use,” Churchill said.

She said parents were told some important ways to find out what is happening in their child’s life and how to do more to prevent them from. The tips included:

• limiting access in their own home. Most young people actually start drinking because they used some of their parents’ liquor. Know how much beer/wine is in the refrigerator and question if there is less. Lock the liquor cabinet. Model low-risk drinking (No more than two drinks per day per man and one for a woman.) If you know your teenager’s friends parents often have alcohol easily assessable, suggest that your home be the “teen hang out.”

• get to know your teens friends. Research shows the biggest indicator of your own child’s use is whether they have friends who are using, So, encourage your child to bring their friends around, and talk to them. Do things with them. creative and Get to know their parents too. Keep the activities at your house until you are assured your child’s friends parents are responsible when it comes to underage drinking. This hint will cost you more on your food bill but it can allow you to monitor and observe what young people are thinking about underage drinking.

• reinforce the rules and consequences. Have a clear no-use rule and enforce it. It is illegal. People are not allowed to drink until they are 21.

• check in often. Know where your teenagers are. Have them call if they consider moving to a new location.

• be up and be ready. Set a curfew and insist your child wakes you when they are home so that you can check out the time, check out the breath, check out their gait and ability to communicate.

Churchill said the tips are not recipes and following them does not guarantee the child will not drink, but they are strategies parents can immediately implement to create a home environment where expectations are clear, communication is strong and young people know people care about them.