Now that Washington teens have settled back into school, it is the perfect time for parents to talk to them about alcohol.

Our teens need your guidance as they navigate a new school, deal with the pressures of homework or enjoy new freedoms such as a driver’s license. Talking about alcohol and setting clear rules should be a top priority, because underage drinking poses a great risk to their future, health and well-being.

The good news is that most Washington teens don’t drink alcohol. However, the 2008 Washington Healthy Youth Survey shows that 16 percent of eighth-graders, 32 percent of 10th-graders, and 41 percent of 12th-graders had a drink in the past month. Many teens get alcohol from friends and at parties, and 71 percent of seniors say alcohol is easy to get when they want it.

With fall traditions such as school dances, football games and Halloween parties happening, some teens may be faced with the decision whether or not to try alcohol. They may feel the pressure to drink in order to fit in or think drinking is a “rite of passage.”

Parents are the No. 1 influence on whether teens drink, so it is crucial that parents start talking before these opportunities arise.

Below are some tips for parents:

• Set and enforce clear rules and expectations about alcohol. Tell your teen that underage drinking is not acceptable in your family.

• Talk about the consequences of underage drinking, such as legal issues, traffic crashes, violence, suicide and unplanned or unwanted sexual activity.

• Discuss how alcohol use could impact your teen’s future, such as performing poorly at school, being suspended from a sports team or having alcohol problems as an adult.

• Offer solutions if someone brings alcohol to an event, such as how to call for a safe ride home.

• Open your home for alcohol-free parties after games or dances. Monitor these events through periodic drop-ins to make sure no one brings alcohol.

We need to send the message that alcohol has no place in a healthy childhood.

Sharon Foster and Michael Langer are co-chairs of the Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, a coalition of state, local and nonprofit agencies dedicated to reducing underage drinking.