Learning from Lindsay Lohan

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Teenage celebrities seem to constantly be in the news for the wrong reasons. Many parents fear that all of this media attention – paparazzi photos of excessive partying, drug and alcohol use leading to DUI’s, car accidents or stays in rehab may encourage their own teens to experiment. While there is no denying that these individuals set a poor example for our youth, parents should not be afraid to use these news stories as a way to start conversations with their children about the many dangers of drug and alcohol use.

It doesn’t seem like long ago that Lindsay Lohan was lighting up the screen with hit movies like “Parent Trap” and “Mean Girls.” Having a discussion about how her drug and alcohol abuse  has led to a jail sentence, addiction and an obvious decline in her career success can demonstrate both the dangers and consequences of risky behavior. Getting an adolescent to pay attention to these messages is a difficult task and there’s nothing wrong with using Hollywood as a way of relating to your child.