Teen Drinking: the Facts, the Risks, and Potential Solutions

A Presentation for Parents Based on information provided by the Maine Office of Substance Abuse, May 2003

2

Our Purpose Provide information and tips for

preventing teen alcohol use Open the lines of communication

among parents Identify ways that parents and law

enforcement can support each other

Ultimate goal: Prevent kids from engaging in high-risk behavior

3

Ground Rules Keep an open mind – there are lots of misperceptions

and false assumptions that have been widely accepted as “true”

Remember - we all have different experiences with alcohol that color our values and beliefs (family history, past experience, etc.)

Avoid casting blame – there are lots of ways to be good parents

Find common ground – what can we agree on, how can we avoid mixed messages?

This isn’t about “good” kids or “bad“ kids – it is about high-risk choices that are often encouraged by the environment that surrounds all our kids

4

Maine Office of Substance Abuse Parent Campaign: Do You Really Know?

Research conducted by the Office of Substance Abuse in 2002: – Student survey with 8-12th graders

– Random phone survey of parents of 8-12th graders

Results show wide disparities between what teens say they are doing and what parents believe their kids are doing

Source: MYDAUS 2002 and Ethos/Pan Atlantic Parent Survey, 2002.

5

Do you really know?

65%

17%

38%

2%20%

0.50%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Lifetime use (more than afew sips)

Drinking in the past month Binge drinking (5+ in arow) in the past 2 weeks

Teens who reported this behaviorParents who reported that their teen engaged in this behavior

6

What do most parents think about teen alcohol use?

83%

99%96%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100%

Parents who said theyare "very concerned"about teen drinking

Parents who said it is"very inappropriate" fora 14 year old to drink

with no adultsupervision

Parents who said it is"very inappropriate" fora 17 year old to drink

with no adultsupervision

7

Which strategies do most parents support to reduce underage drinking?

75%81%

52%

68%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Strengthenenforcement of

existing underagedrinking laws

Strengthenenforcement of

laws that bansupplying alcohol

to minors

Create strongerlaws to address

underage drinking

Regulateadvertising tomake drinking

less appealing toyouth

Source: Office of Substance Abuse, HZA Parent Survey, June 2002

8

Why is underage drinking a problem? Kids who begin drinking by age 15 are 4x more

likely to develop alcohol abuse/dependence than those who wait until age 21- the risk drops for every year that initial alcohol use is delayed (40% risk before age 15, 10% risk after age 21)

With as little as one drink, alcohol impairs normal brain function in adolescents more than adults; each episode of heavy drinking among adolescents and young adults can result in impaired learning/ memory function for up to 2 weeks

Note: sources for this information are available on the “Medical Impact” page of the Office of Substance Abuse Parent Kit

9

Why is underage drinking a problem? Alcohol-related traffic crashes are the leading

cause of death and disability among teenagers

Alcohol is a major factor in all of the other leading causes of death and injury among teenagers – homicide, suicide, burns, drownings, and falls

Alcohol use has been strongly linked to depression, sexually transmitted diseases, and date rape and other criminal behavior (both as perpetrator and as victim)

Note: sources for this information are available on the “Medical Impact” page of the Office of Substance Abuse Parent Kit

10

The minimum legal drinking age is effective It works

– Many studies have found that drinking among 18-20 year olds increased with the lowered drinking age and decreased when the drinking age was raised to 21.

– The latest review of all the research available concludes: “The preponderance of the evidence suggests that higher legal drinking ages reduce alcohol consumption”

– The majority of studies on the relationship between the drinking age and traffic crashes found that traffic crashes increased significantly with the lowered drinking age and decreased significantly when the drinking age was raised to 21.

Source: Wagenaar A. and Toomey, T. Effects of the Minimum Drinking Age Laws: Review and Analyses of the Literature from 1960 to 2000. Journal of Studies on Alcohol (Supplement No. 14): 2002.

11

The minimum legal drinking age is effective The European Myth: some people claim that the

U.S. would not have such problems with youth drinking if we lowered our drinking age like the European countries-Recent research shows that in a majority of European

countries, a greater percentage of 15-16 year olds report drinking to excess (5+ drinks in a row) than U.S. 15-16 year olds

-About half of the European countries have intoxication rates among 15-16 yr olds that are greater than in the U.S. (1/4 are about the same, and1/4 are lower)

-Many factors influence drinking patterns across Europe and the U.S., including government policies, tax rates, retail availability, religious/cultural values, advertising practices, and social acceptability of intoxication.

Source: US Dept of Justice, Comparison of Drinking Rates and Problems: European Countries and the United States, 2001.

12

Laws You and Your Teen Should Know

Illegal Possession (exceptions: in the scope of employment or in a private home in the presence of the minor’s parent/ guardian)

Illegal Transportation Teen OUI

(Zero Tolerance) Criminal OUI

(.08 per se) Refusal to be tested

for blood alcohol content

Furnishing Liquor to a Minor – Felony provision if death or

serious bodily injury results

Allowing Minors to Consume in a Place Under Your Control

Maine Liquor Liability Act (up to $250,000 plus medical expenses)

13

The residual impact of an underage drinking violation goes beyond the fines

For example… If over 18, they will have a permanent record (even

juvenile records can have an impact, i.e. for security clearance for future military jobs)

Criminal offenses can impede future job opportunities and college applications

Transportation offenses can result in car insurance rate increases as well as suspension of a driver’s license

False identification offenses can result in suspension of a driver’s license

Furnishing offenses can result in jail time, particularly repeat offenses

14

What you can do at home

Talk with your teen– Regularly, not once a year at prom time– Set the rules clearly and provide consequences– Explain why you want them to delay alcohol use– Expect them to avoid risky situations and

unsupervised parties– Give them an excuse to resist peer pressure by

blaming their refusal on you

15

What you can do at home

Monitor your Teen– Ask questions before and after social events– Get to know your child’s friends and the

parents of their friends– Occasionally check to see that they are

where they say and watch for signs of drinking when they return

– Teach them how to have fun without drinking

16

What you can do at home

Signs to watch for Unfortunately, by the time a pattern of changes is visible, a

serious problem may already exist - the best way to catch problems early is to monitor carefully all the time

– Changes in friends– Decline in school performance– Losing interest in activities that used to be fun

or important– Poor concentration

Please note: these may also be signs of depression, suicidal ideation or other mental illness. More information on signs of a substance abuse problem is available in the OSA Parent Kit.

17

What you can do at home Self-assessment:

Are you sending mixed messages?– Be a good role model: if you drink in front of your

children, do so within the low-risk guidelines (no more than 1-2 drinks daily or 4 on any occasion)

– Avoid telling funny drinking stories or glorifying alcohol use in front of your children; don’t laugh about other people’s high-risk drinking

– Be careful not to communicate an assumption that alcohol is necessary to have fun

– Don’t assume teen drinking is an unavoidable rite of passage – if you expect your teen to drink, they probably will

18

What we can do as a community

Communicate with other parents Get involved with a local coalition working on

substance abuse or other youth issues Establish a parent pledge or network of

parents who will promise not to provide alcohol to youth and who will ensure that any youth gatherings at their homes will be supervised and chem-free

19

What we can do as a community

Watch for irresponsible merchants and confront them if they are not carding, are observed selling to minors, or market alcohol in a way that appeals to youth

Praise responsible merchants – say “thank you” when you observe a clerk carding young people and refusing sales

Support the efforts of school administrators to enforce school alcohol policies

Ensure that there are plenty of chem-free fun social opportunities for youth to enjoy

20

A few other thoughts… Kids want and need parents to set clear boundaries and

rules. Adolescence is developmentally a time of testing the limits – if the limits aren’t clear, they may need to keep testing them to discover where they are.

Peer pressure among parents can sometimes be just as bad or worse than among kids (and may be based on false assumptions that other parents are more permissive than they really are).

Some parents think it is acceptable to host a drinking party and take away the keys in order to keep kids safe – while it is clearly important to keep drinking teens off the road, kids say this sends them a mixed message. Consider both the legal issues and the long-term consequences of one-night solutions that focus on temporarily preventing only one type of harm that results from teen drinking.

21

Ways you can help support law enforcement efforts to reduce underage/high-risk drinking

Call to report parties in advance if you suspect they will be unsupervised or alcohol present (this makes it possible to speak with the home-owner before the party)

Report observations of sales to minors by local stores

Avoid implying to kids that it is okay to break the law as long as you don’t get caught

Contact state/local policymakers to let them know you support efforts to reduce underage drinking and that you want to see the law enforced

22

Other Resources Maine Parent’s Kit: www.maineparents.net

or call 1-800-499-0027

Maine Office of Substance Abuse Information and Resource Center: www.maineosa.org (or call number above)

Mainely Parents: www.mainelyparents.org or call 1-800-249-5506

Local Contacts