Parents play a major role in their children’s choices about alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. In a survey of parents and teens by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, one-third of teen partygoers have been to parties where teens were drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, or using cocaine, ecstasy or prescription drugs while a parent was present. By age 17, nearly half (46 percent) of teens have been at such parties where parents were present. There are many heath-related consequences of youth consuming alcohol including negative effects on brain development, increased sexual activity, deviant behavior including stealing and skipping school and a greater risk of becoming alcohol-dependant later in life.
Drug-Free Action Alliance has developed the Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking public awareness campaign to provide parents with accurate information about the health risks of underage drinking and the legal consequences of providing alcohol to youth.
In a telephone survey conducted for Drug-Free Action Alliance, 25% of teens indicated they had attended a party in the past two months where alcohol was available or served, while only 15% of parents thought their child had attended a party where alcohol was available or served. Also, a majority of parents and teens surveyed said that it is generally easy for underage youth to get alcohol.
“Scientific research shows the serious and damaging effects of alcohol on the developing brain of youth under the age of 21,” says Patricia Harmon, Executive Director of Drug-Free Action Alliance. “This campaign educates parents about the laws and safety risks involved in underage drinking parties, and encourages a unified message that teen alcohol consumption is unhealthy, unsafe and unacceptable.”
Rutland Area Prevention Coalition (RAP) works to bring the people of Rutland County together to prevent substance abuse through education and information about alternative, healthy lifestyle choices. According to the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey for Rutland County, when underage students were asked where they got their alcohol, 68% of females said that they either got it from home or someone gave it to them; likewise, 53% of males gave a similar response.
RAP is working to prevent underage drinking and educate the community about the consequences of social hosting.
The Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking campaign is a program of Drug-Free Action Alliance with funding from the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. More information is available at www.DrugFreeActionAlliance.org.
This post was submitted by Tina Coltey.
