With many college students returning home for the holidays, it's a perfect time for family members to raise some tough topics about college.
Michael A. Fitts, president of Tulane University, says higher education leaders could use help with one of those topics: the growing problem of high-risk alcohol and drug use on college campuses.
"We’re hard at work on it, and are frequently asked to do more, but we cannot make critical progress without family members," Fitts writes in an opinion piece for Fox News.
Nationally, 7 out of 10 college students drink regularly, and 3 out of 10 will be problem drinkers. An increasing number of college students also struggle with abuse of opioids and other prescription drugs.
Parents can help their students both understand healthy behaviors and become aware that they may be taking extreme risks., Fitts said.
"We must shift the college party culture to one where no student will need to be transported by ambulance, where no heartbreaking call needs to be made to families because of an overdose or car accident. Not a single one. It cannot happen too soon."