Bethesda - UPI
Teen peer pressure to drink, or get into other trouble, can be tough to fight, but a U.S. expert suggests a parent/teen secret code to get out of situations. Dr. George Askew at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says there\'s a way for a teen with a cellphone to slip out of those uncomfortable situations, which involves a parent, a secret code and a phone call. \"The teen texts a secret code -- something agreed-upon by the teen and the parents -- to a parent,\" Askew says in a statement. \"The parent responds immediately with a phone call.\" It gives a teen a way out, by saying: \"Well, my mom just called. I was supposed to do something, I have to go run and do that, but I will catch up with you guys later,\" Askew said. Askew says it\'s something parents can talk about with their teens as part of a broader conversation about teen drinking.