Ohio Spirits 2018 Q2 - 35

lcohol is the number one
"It's better for kids to learn how to
drug of choice among youth.
drink responsibly from me than to learn
In fact, one out of every
how to drink from their friends."
three high school seniors
Let's go through each of those, one by
drank at least one drink of alcohol in the
one.
last 30 days, and one in every five has
"Drinking is just a rite of passage,
been drunk, according to the 2017 naand everyone's doing it."
tionwide Monitoring the Future Survey.
The 2017 Monitoring the Future SurUnderage drinking is especially danvey shows that most youth are not reggerous because of their youth, developing
ularly drinking alcohol, although it is
brains, and because teens overwhelmtrue that most of them will have tried
ingly binge drink. According to the Cenalcohol at some time before graduating
ters for Disease Control and Prevention
high school.
(CDC), 90 percent of alcohol consumed
The perception that all the kids are
by underage drinkers is consumed by
doing it creates a self-fulfilling prophbinge drinking.
ecy. If teens
In all, underage
think everyone is
A structureless
drinkers consume
drinking, they're
environment
11 percent of all
more likely to
creates doubts
alcohol in the
do it themselves
and uncertainties,
U.S., according
because they're
which makes it hard
to the CDC.
teens and they
for a child to find
So where do
want to fit in.
consistency. Trying to
teens get all this
But, if they rebe cool, by providing
alcohol?
alize that most
your
kid
and
his
Most
teens
of their peers
friends alcohol for
never have to pay
disapprove
of
for it-typically instance, degrades your drinking reguauthority over time.
someone of age
larly and aren't
gives the alcohol
doing it, then
to them. These alcohol providers can be
they'll be better able to resist the peer
of-age friends or family members, like an
pressure of drinking.
older brother or even a parent.
Drinking isn't a rite of passage.
Even though it's illegal for parents to
Learning to drive, graduating high
provide alcohol for underage drinkers,
school, and getting that first job are rites
they still do. When pressed, parents proof passage. Similarly, not all teens drink
vide all sorts of reasons why they did it.
alcohol, but the idea that they do fuels a
They can be boiled down to a few readangerous misperception and encouragsons:
es usage itself.
"Drinking is just a rite of passage,
"I want my kids to like me, and
and everyone's doing it."
that'll only happen if I let them have a
"I want my kids to like me, and
few drinks."
that'll only happen if I let them have a
This excuse falsely assumes that parfew drinks."
ents get their authority from being their
"If we take their car keys away,
child's friend. Our kids trust us because
they'll be safe."
we're their parents, and we set rules that

PARENTS
WHO HOST
LOSE THE MOST
To help communities
prevent underage drinking,
Prevention Action Alliance
offers a program called
Parents Who Host Lose
The Most: Don't be a party
to teenage drinking.
Parents Who Host
educates parents about
the health and safety risks
of providing alcohol to
teenagers and increases
awareness of and
compliance with underage
drinking laws by mobilizing
the community with a
message that enabling
underage drinking is
unhealthy, unsafe, and
unacceptable.
It's a ready-made public
awareness campaign that
community coalitions,
faith leaders, schools
or parent groups can
implement year round
or around celebratory
times for youth, such as
prom, homecoming and
graduation.

SPRING/SUMMER 2018

Ohio Spirits 2018 Q2

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