Alcohol, Drug

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Alcohol, Drug Binge Drinking Among Youth
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about alcohol use when there are so many
dangerous drugs available to our youth?
Why be concerned
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alcohol is the 1 drug of choice, youth use
alcohol more frequently and heavily than all
other illicit drugs combined.
For young people
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the mind and body in unpredictable ways and
teens lack the judgment and coping skills to
handle alcohol wisely. These dynamics can have
dangerous results.
Alcohol affects
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Alcohol use by young people is risky

• Alcohol-related traffic crashes are the 1 cause
  of death among teens.
• Alcohol use is also linked with youthful deaths
  by drowning, suicide and homicide.
• An individual who begins drinking as a young teen
  is 4 times more likely to develop alcohol
  dependence than someone who waits until adulthood
  to use alcohol.

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Teens who use alcohol are more likely to

• Become sexually active at earlier ages and to
  have unprotected sex which increases risk of
  pregnancy and STD/HIV.
• Be victims of violent crime, including rape,
  aggravated assault and robbery.
• Have serious problems with school work and school
  conduct.

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What Williams Teens Tell Us

• Most teens in Williams who drink take their first
  drink between the ages of 11 13
• More than 69 try alcohol before reaching high
  school
• 58 of Williams high school seniors drink alcohol
  regularly
• 50 of 10th graders and 65 of 12th graders say
  alcohol is easy to obtain

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How many Williams teens report binge drinking on
a regular basis?

• 22 of 8th graders (compared to 13 state rate)
• 28 of 10th graders (compared to 22 state rate)
• 37.5 of 12th graders (compared to 28 state rate)

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are 8 times more likely than non-binge drinkers
to miss classes and fall behind in school work.
Frequent binge drinkers
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High blood-alcohol levels associated with binge
drinking increase the risk for

• Alcohol-related injuries or death
• Legal problems
• Unplanned pregnancy
• Transmission of STD, including HIV
• Acquaintance rape

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51 of Williams 10th graders (compared to 43
state rate) and 56 of Williams 12th
graders (compared to 35 state rate) Felt the
Williams community law and norms favored drug
(including alcohol) use.
Do community law and normsfavor drug use?
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38 of Williams 8th grade youth reported parents
attitudes were favorable to drug (including
alcohol) use compared to 29 state rate.
Are parent attitudesfavorable to drug use?
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Parents are this communitys greatest asset!
Parents are the most important influence on
children when it comes to their use of alcohol
and other drugs!Teens wont drink alcohol or
use drugs if they believe they risk losing their
parents respect.
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What Can Parents Do?

• Be a good role model
• Teach kids to choose friends wisely
• Keep track of your childs activities
• Set rules, be consistent but be reasonable
• Recognize good behavior
• Monitor alcohol use in your home
• Connect with other parents
• Set family rules about teens drinking
• Support healthy activities for your children

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When Hosting a Teen Party

• Agree on a guest list - dont admit party
  crashers
• Discuss ground rules before the party
• Serve plenty of snacks and non-alcohol drinks
• Be visible and available - dont join the party
• Brainstorm fun activities for the party
• If a guest brings alcohol into your house - ask
  them to leave
• Encourage your teen to plan the party with
  responsible and supportive friends

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As a community we need to

• Limit access
• Parental limit setting
• Strict law enforcement for underage drinking
• Improve the existing laws

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Community norms that discourage underage drinking

• Prohibitions or controls on alcohol use at
  community events or in public areas
• Prohibition of alcohol sponsorship at public
  events
• Controls on alcohol advertising
• Community sponsorship of alcohol-free activities
  for youth
• Support the Williams Alliance to reduce teen
  alcohol drug use

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What Can The Community Do?

• Set a no use policy for all youth activities
  where youth congregate
• Supervise alcohol free areas for youth social or
  athletic activities
• Talk with youth about alcohol and listen to their
  concerns
• Promote alcohol-specific counseling services in
  schools
• Inform others of the seriousness of underage
  drinking

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Communities (cont)

• Model positive behavior by not engaging in
  illegal or unhealthy alcohol use
• Build a network of leaders and resources that
  work to discourage underage drinking
• Advocate for public policies that reduce underage
  drinking
• Support enforcement of laws and polices related
  to underage use

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For more information
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