Teen Drug Help
Drinking Among Young Teens Declining in England, But Still a Concern
Recent data from England's National Health Service (NHS) suggest that drinking among young teens is on the decline, and that English teens are generally less likely to abuse substances than their counterparts worldwide. However, experts warn that continued vigilance against underage drinking is needed.
According to the data, which included school surveys from over 8,000 children over three years, young teens in the Northeast reported drinking the most (about six pints of strong beer or two bottles of wine) per week, while young teens in London reported consuming about two-thirds that amount. Overall, the data suggest that the total number of youth regularly consuming alcohol is declining.
Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, commented on the reported levels of drinking: "Regular consumption at these levels, especially when compressed into heavy sessions at the weekend puts boys and girls at considerable risk. This extends beyond the usual considerations around accidents and injury through violence. At this age the adolescent mind is still developing, and for an unlucky minority heavy drinking so early will have profound and long lasting implications for their learning and problem solving skills."
(Source: www.timesonline.co.uk)
Labels: teen drinking, teen substance abuse, underage-drinking
States that Lower Drinking Age May Endanger Teens in Neighboring States
According to research conducted by the University of Michigan and Stanford University, 18- and 19-year-old drivers who live in a state where the minimum legal drinking age is 21, but live within 25 miles of another state where the drinking age is 18 or 19 are more likely to be involved in a fatal automobile accident.
University of Michigan economist Joel Slemrod, study co-author, commented on the findings: "The availability of different policies just across the border — be they lower excise taxes or the legal sale of fireworks — can compromise the impact of a jurisdiction's own policies and cause efficiency costs as consumers pursue the goods.
"In the case of legalized drinking, being able to drink legally across the border has an additional implication for social costs because the act of drinking and then driving home drunk can itself be dangerous, even fatal, both to the cross-border consumers and other unfortunate drivers and pedestrians."
Slemrod, and Stanford University colleague Michael Lovenheim, studied the effect of states' different minimum drinking ages on alcohol-related traffic deaths since 1977. For the years after 1987, when 21 years of age became the minimum drinking age in all 50 states, they focused on national borders with Canada and Mexico. The researchers found that raising the legal drinking age to 21 has resulted in 5 percent fewer drunk driving fatal automobile accidents for 18-year-olds and 4 percent fewer for 19-year-olds.
(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)
Labels: alcohol, law, underage-drinking
Cheap Alcohol Linked to Harmful Underage Drinking in U.K. Teens
Researchers in the Northwest of England recently conducted a study of 9,833 15- to 16-year-olds and found that extremely low cost alcohol products are strongly linked to harmful underage drinking.
The researchers, a team from Liverpool John Moores University and Trading Standards (Northwest), surveyed the teens' alcohol consumption habits, the types of drinks they consumed, locations where drinks were consumed, methods of access to alcohol and harm encountered by drinking teens.
Mark Bellis, a researcher, commented on typical outcomes for teens who drank: "Regretted sex after drinking, having been involved in violence when drunk, consuming alcohol in public places and forgetting things after drinking had all been experienced by relatively large proportions of teen drinkers. For children who drink alcohol we did not find any typical drinking patterns where children were at no risk of harms. Accessing alcohol through parents did not remove the risks of alcohol related harms but was associated with lower levels of risk."
Interestingly, researchers found that 19.9 percent of teen drinkers who obtained alcohol from their parents and who drank once per week had been involved in violence when drunk. Among teens whose only access to alcohol was through other means, the incidence of violence increased to 35.9 percent. In addition, researchers found a strong correlation between the consumption of cheaper alcohol products and increased reporting of violence when drunk, risky sexual behavior and drinking in public places.
Bellis said, "Parental efforts should be matched by genuine legislative and enforcement activity to reduce independent access to alcohol by children and to increase the price of cheap alcohol products."
(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)
Labels: alcohol, sex, underage-drinking, violence
High Rates of Teen Drinking in Washington State, Surveys Say
According to the national Monitoring the Future Survey, 11 percent of high school seniors reported "extreme binge drinking" within the two weeks prior to the survey. Extreme binge drinking is defined as consuming 10 or more alcoholic beverages in a single sitting. Approximately 6 percent reported consuming more than 15 drinks in a row in the two weeks prior to the survey.
The Washington State Healthy Youth Survey reported similar findings. The 2008 state survey found that almost 18 percent of 10th graders are binge drinkers, which is a higher percentage than those that are cigarette smokers (14 percent). Among Washington State 8th graders, 41 percent who drink reported getting alcohol from home and 24 percent reported that their parents have not talked to them about alcohol and its risks.
David Dickinson, director of the Department of Social and Health Services Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR), commented: "Underage drinking, especially binge drinking, is extremely risky, with alcohol poisoning being a potentially fatal outcome. Alcohol causes great harm to the developing teen brain. Teens who drink are more likely to become pregnant, fail in school, and develop alcohol dependence.
"Parents who give kids the facts about alcohol, set healthy examples, and never give alcohol to someone under 21, have the most influence in preventing underage drinking."
(Source: www.dhs.wa.gov)
Labels: alcohol, binge drinking, underage-drinking
Alcohol Abuse Decreases at Sacramento State University
Since 2006, liquor law violations at Sacramento State University have decreased. Violations have also decreased throughout the California State University (CSU) system.
According to the fourth biennial report on CSU's Alcohol Policies and Prevention programs, the overall number of students abusing alcohol has declined since the University first initiated alcohol abuse prevention efforts in 2001.
CSU's alcohol policies and prevention programs require each campus in the CSU system to report the status and progress of alcohol education and prevention efforts every two years. The goal is to decrease and prevent alcohol-related incidents among students, including drunk driving, underage drinking, binge drinking, and alcohol-related injuries and fatalities.
Cyndra Krogen-Morton, professional staff and health educator of Sacramento State's Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Education Program, commented on the encouraging trend: "I am very excited about it. We have been working hard with the law enforcement and Alcoholic Beverage Control. I'm happy that the chancellor's efforts are paying off."
(Source: media.www.statehornet.com)
Labels: alcohol, binge drinking, college-drinking, substance use, underage-drinking
Anheuser-Busch Helps Combat Underage Drinking
Beer maker Anheuser-Busch is continuing its commitment to prevent underage drinking by supporting the federal government's "We Don't Serve Teens" campaign. The campaign, initiated in 2006, provides parents, neighborhoods, businesses and service organizations with information that helps them limit teen access to alcohol.
Anheuser-Busch is contributing to the effort by donating advertising space in national publications, including Time magazine and USA Today. The space is being used to help disseminate the government's message about the consequences of underage drinking. Anheuser-Busch will also be covering the cost of 650 outdoor board placements carrying the campaign's message.
"A crucial part of preventing underage drinking is reaching out to adults and asking them to do their part by not buying alcohol for teens or providing it to them at parties. It's unsafe, illegal and irresponsible," said Carol Clark, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Anheuser-Busch. "We're proud to support this important campaign that encourages parents and other adults to talk with teens and relay a clear message that underage drinking will not be tolerated."
(Source: www.reuters.com)
Labels: anheuser busch, underage-drinking
New York Town Uses Stickers to Raise Alcohol Awareness
Medina, New York, is implementing a new program using orange stickers to help raise awareness of underage access to alcohol. Drug-Free Communities Coordinator, Kaitlin Smith for Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, explains the project: "Project Sticker Shock is a community awareness campaign intended to address youth access to alcohol and community norms that support not providing alcohol to minors. ... It is used to help remind store clerks, as well as adults purchasing alcohol, that providing alcohol to youth that are under the age of 21 is illegal. This project unites youth, alcohol retailers, teachers, parents, media and community members in striving for a common goal."
A small group of high school students and a teacher spent several hours this week visiting local alcohol retailers and applying over 3,000 stickers to alcoholic beverage containers. (Source: journalregister.com)
Labels: alcohol, awareness, underage-drinking
Ohio County Targets Parents who Host Underage Parties
The Champaign County Drug-Free Youth Coalition is partnering with the state of Ohio's Drug-Free Action Alliance to launch a campaign that targets parents who host underage drinking parties. The "Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Don't be a party to teenage drinking" public awareness campaign is designed to provide parents with information about the health risks of underage drinking and the legal consequences of providing alcohol to youth. The program is funded in part by the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. The campaign is timed to reach parents before prom and graduation parties.
Abby Cohn, director of the Champaign County Child and Family First Council, comments: "This time of year presents numerous opportunities for underage drinking. ... We want to make sure that members of our community make good choices in determining how to celebrate." (Sources: www.urbancitizen.com)
Labels: parents, pharm parties, underage-drinking
Oklahoma Considering Tougher Penalties for Parents who Host Underage Drinking
In 2006, Oklahoma voters passed "Cody's Law," named for a 16-year-old Tulas boy who died of an overdose while staying the night at a friend's home where the friend's parents were hosting a teen party. The parents, Kelli and William Henry, received a one-year deferred sentence for 11 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Cody's parents, stunned by the light sentence, are now working to pass a new law that would require harsher penalties for adults who provide drugs and/or alcohol to minors. Under the current law, adults are only held responsible if a child is injured or dies while consuming drugs or alcohol under the supervision of an adult; the new law would hold adults accountable for simply hosting a party for minors where alcohol and/or drugs are available. The new bill, Senate Bill 1146, would also require a misdemeanor for the first offense with jail time and fines; extended jail time and fines for a second offense; and an automatic felony for a third offense.
Labels: liability, party, underage-drinking
Teen Drinking Becoming Significant Problem in Vermont
According to an article appearing this week in the Boston Globe, a disturbing number of students in rural Vermont are abusing alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs. Contrary to the state's idyllic image of pristine farmland and healthy living, concerns are growing regarding youth drug and alcohol abuse.
According to recent data from the United States Health and Human Service Department, Vermont had the highest and second-highest rates of teen alcohol use and binge drinking, respectively. These rankings also represent a significant increase as compared to data from 2005-2006, in which Vermonters were ranked eighth in those categories.
Locals believe that denial has played a large part in the fact that this problem has not been addressed sooner. Lori Augustyniak, executive director of the Cabot Coalition (a nonprofit organization against substance abuse), commented: "There's denial among all ages. ... The feeling is, we do live in this idyllic, wonderful place, and it's not possible that this is going on." (Source: www.boston.com)
Labels: students, underage-drinking
New York State Proposes Alcohol Tax to Curtail Teen Drinking
On December 15, representatives in the New York State Assembly proposed a 25 cent per bottle tax on beer, wine, and liquor to create revenues to be used to help curtail teen drinking. The excise tax would be charged to distributors and noncommercial importers of all alcohol sold in New York State. The authors of the bill cited recent data which indicate that between 12 and 20 percent of the alcohol market in the United States is composed of underage drinkers. In addition, the bill's justification includes the fact that "research has shown that higher prices on alcohol can reduce teen alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems." Approximately 1.6 million adults and 160,000 youth in New York State suffer from drug or alcohol abuse problems. (Source: legislativegazette.com)
Labels: drug-abuse, teen-drinking, underage-drinking
