Welcome  to  Public  Health  moment from  the  University  of  Minnesota. Binge  drinking,  the  act  of drinking  five  or  more  alcoholic  drinks  in  a  row, has  declined  since  the  1980s  among  our  nation's  youth. This  is  according  to  a  study  funded  by the  National  Institutes  of  Health  That's  encouraging, says  Rhonda  Jones  Webb, an  epidemiology  professor  at  the  University  of  Minnesota. Still,  she  says  alcohol  use  remains  widespread. That  same  survey  suggests  that  about  75%  of high  school  students  have  consumed alcohol  by  the  time  they  complete  high  school. And  about  40%  of  teens  have consumed  alcohol  by  the  time  they  reach  the  eighth  grade. Jones  Webb  offers  several  tips  to  parents for  ensuring  that  their  teenagers  stay  away  from  alcohol. I  think  one  of  the  first  things  is  making  sure  that it's  easily  available  in  the  home. I  think  Second,  establishing  family  rules. A  drinking  for  example, telling  your  teen  that  they  cannot drink  until  they're  21, that  they  cannot  attend parties  where  alcohol  is  being  consumed. Jones  Webb  says,  parents should  question  whether  their  child  is drinking  if  the  child begins  hanging  out  with  different  friends, keeps  secrets  or  lies, or  if  his  or  her  school  work  begins  to  suffer with  another  public  health  moment.  I'm  John  Finnegan.