News Summary
A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that fewer adolescents are being exposed to substance-use prevention messages or participating in out-of-school prevention programs.
On the other hand, more adolescents said they talked to at least one parent about alcohol and other drugs, the survey found. The population of adolescents engaging with at least one parent about substance abuse-related topics increased to 59.6 percent in 2007 (from 58.1 percent in 2002). Those who had such conversations with their parents were significantly less likely to use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs, researchers found.
The report, Exposure to Substance Use Prevention Messages and Substance Use Among Adolescents: 2002 to 2007, was based on national surveys of adolescents ages 12-17. The report shows that the population of adolescents exposed to prevention messages dropped from 83.2 percent in 2002 to 77.9 percent in 2007. Adolescent participation in out-of-school prevention programs fell from 12.7 percent in 2002 to 11.3 percent in 2007.
Showing posts with label Article. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Article. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
60 Minutes Story on College Binge Drinking
60 Minutes Story on College Binge Drinking Highlights Importance of Limiting Youth Access to Alcohol
February 23, 2009
Announcement From: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)511 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 700Irving, TX 75062
DALLAS -- 60 Minutes, CBS's weekly newsmagazine, aired a story [Feb. 22] on underage drinking focused on the significant problem of binge drinking on college campuses but did not include peer-reviewed scientific data showing lives are being saved on and off the roadways. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) National President, Laura Dean-Mooney, said, "Lowering the drinking age would only make the problem worse among 15, 16 and 17 year-olds, just look at European countries with an 18 law." Data from European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) in 2003 showed that of 35 European countries, 31 had a higher percentage of 15-year olds who had been drunk in the past year than in the U.S.
Support 21, a broad coalition of stakeholders from science, medical and public health organizations, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the American Medical Association (AMA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), today said they are deeply disappointed that the story fuels an irresponsible debate with lives at stake. The Coalition stands firmly behind the indisputable scientific research found by more than 50 high-quality, peer-reviewed studies that show that the 21 minimum drinking age law saves lives on the roadways. Additionally, the law has been proven to lower underage consumption and save lives off the roads.
To view the entire story, go to http://www.jointogether.org/news/yourturn/announcements/2009/60-minutes-youth-access.html?log-event=sp2f-view-item&nid=49287108
February 23, 2009
Announcement From: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)511 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 700Irving, TX 75062
DALLAS -- 60 Minutes, CBS's weekly newsmagazine, aired a story [Feb. 22] on underage drinking focused on the significant problem of binge drinking on college campuses but did not include peer-reviewed scientific data showing lives are being saved on and off the roadways. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) National President, Laura Dean-Mooney, said, "Lowering the drinking age would only make the problem worse among 15, 16 and 17 year-olds, just look at European countries with an 18 law." Data from European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) in 2003 showed that of 35 European countries, 31 had a higher percentage of 15-year olds who had been drunk in the past year than in the U.S.
Support 21, a broad coalition of stakeholders from science, medical and public health organizations, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the American Medical Association (AMA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), today said they are deeply disappointed that the story fuels an irresponsible debate with lives at stake. The Coalition stands firmly behind the indisputable scientific research found by more than 50 high-quality, peer-reviewed studies that show that the 21 minimum drinking age law saves lives on the roadways. Additionally, the law has been proven to lower underage consumption and save lives off the roads.
To view the entire story, go to http://www.jointogether.org/news/yourturn/announcements/2009/60-minutes-youth-access.html?log-event=sp2f-view-item&nid=49287108
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Positive Results from New Alcohol Servers & Sellers Training
Current
January 2009
The Red Wing Police Department conducts underage alcohol compliance checks at area businesses twice annually. The intent is to minimize youth access to alcohol in the community.
On December 15, two Red Wing officers and two underage buyers conducted 22 alcohol compliance checks. All the businesses passed the compliance checks by not selling alcohol to the underage buyers.
Police Chief Tim Sletten said, “I’m thrilled with the results of these checks. It demonstrates the success of the new training program for those who sell and serve alcohol and of the work being done by the Chemical Health Initiative. It also shows that our liquor establishments know just how important it is to not sell alcohol to underage customers. Their commitment to this is greatly appreciated. This is an exciting step toward creating a safer and healthier community for our youth.”
The Police Department will continue to conduct alcohol compliance checks periodically. If a business fails such a check, it may have its liquor license suspended or revoked. Clerks who sell to underage buyers are charged personally and face fines or possible jail time.
January 2009
The Red Wing Police Department conducts underage alcohol compliance checks at area businesses twice annually. The intent is to minimize youth access to alcohol in the community.
On December 15, two Red Wing officers and two underage buyers conducted 22 alcohol compliance checks. All the businesses passed the compliance checks by not selling alcohol to the underage buyers.
Police Chief Tim Sletten said, “I’m thrilled with the results of these checks. It demonstrates the success of the new training program for those who sell and serve alcohol and of the work being done by the Chemical Health Initiative. It also shows that our liquor establishments know just how important it is to not sell alcohol to underage customers. Their commitment to this is greatly appreciated. This is an exciting step toward creating a safer and healthier community for our youth.”
The Police Department will continue to conduct alcohol compliance checks periodically. If a business fails such a check, it may have its liquor license suspended or revoked. Clerks who sell to underage buyers are charged personally and face fines or possible jail time.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Five Ways Parents Can Help Middle School Kids Delay Their First Drink
WASHINGTON, Sept 04, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The first few weeks of middle school are a frenzy of friends, parties, and school events. It's also time for parents to start talking with their kids about the dangers of drinking alcohol, according to The Science Inside Alcohol Project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Twenty percent of 14 year-olds say they've been drunk at least once, according to the Surgeon General, and recent news points out dangers of alcohol use by the young:
-- The Partnership for A Drug-Free America released a study in August, 2008 of 6,500 teens in which 73% said school stress caused them to drink and take drugs.
-- A Columbia University study, also released in August found that "problem parents," those who let their kids stay out past 10:00 PM on school nights in particular, are putting them in situations where they are at risk for drinking and drug use.
-- About 100 university leaders called for a national discussion of lowering the drinking age back to 18, saying it's not clear that 21 works.
The middle school years are crucial in the battle to prevent early alcohol use. Young adolescents' bodies and friendships are changing. They start pulling away from parents; yet seek out other adults for guidance. It's the most vulnerable time, specialists say, but also one of the last times they still can be influenced by adults.
No one sets out to be a disengaged parent. But it's hard to be vigilant and talk to your kids about complicated topics when you are constantly on the go. "As parents better understand the physiological effects of alcohol on the body and the fact that their children might be starting younger, it can motivate them to have this sometimes awkward conversation," says Shirley Malcom, head of the Education & Resources Directorate at AAAS. "That's where the science can help."
Members of AAAS' The Science Inside Alcohol Project are writing a book for middle school parents and developing an interactive Web-based science and health curriculum explaining how alcohol affects adolescents' brains and bodies. Based on extensive research, the AAAS team suggests five steps parents can take to talk with their kids about alcohol.
1. Find Teachable Moments - We live in a culture of celebrity. If a celebrity your child admires admits to a drinking problem, or an instance of alcohol abuse occurs in your community, talk about it. Ask your middle school student if she knows anyone who drinks alcohol and whether it is at parties or has been brought into her school. Answer questions. Have this conversation often.
2. Talk to Your Kids When Everything is Fine - Middle school students are volatile, hormonal beings. They are sweet and wonderful one moment, and blow up the next. Pick a time when things are quiet and they're a captive audience such as in the backseat of your car. Don't take no for an answer.
3. Engage Your Kids in the Science of Alcohol - Adolescents are incredibly self-involved. Alcohol can cause memory loss, impair sports performance, incite embarrassing behavior and affect how they feel and look. Make them aware of these facts. If there is a history of alcoholism in your family explain about genetic predispositions towards alcohol abuse.
4. Be Vigilant - There's no alternative to monitoring your kids. Have an early curfew. Know where they are at all times. Even if you are not home on a weeknight, make sure you can reach your kids by phone. Get to know their new friends and their parents. Find out what their rules and level of engagement are.
5. Learn to Trust Your Child - Now's the time when all the work you've put into creating a value system for your child begins to pay off. Set limits and enforce rules, but remember to give your child room to make his or her decisions, within your comfort zone. Praise them when they do well. It's worth a thousand words.
The Science Inside Alcohol Project of AAAS is funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
SOURCE AAAS
Twenty percent of 14 year-olds say they've been drunk at least once, according to the Surgeon General, and recent news points out dangers of alcohol use by the young:
-- The Partnership for A Drug-Free America released a study in August, 2008 of 6,500 teens in which 73% said school stress caused them to drink and take drugs.
-- A Columbia University study, also released in August found that "problem parents," those who let their kids stay out past 10:00 PM on school nights in particular, are putting them in situations where they are at risk for drinking and drug use.
-- About 100 university leaders called for a national discussion of lowering the drinking age back to 18, saying it's not clear that 21 works.
The middle school years are crucial in the battle to prevent early alcohol use. Young adolescents' bodies and friendships are changing. They start pulling away from parents; yet seek out other adults for guidance. It's the most vulnerable time, specialists say, but also one of the last times they still can be influenced by adults.
No one sets out to be a disengaged parent. But it's hard to be vigilant and talk to your kids about complicated topics when you are constantly on the go. "As parents better understand the physiological effects of alcohol on the body and the fact that their children might be starting younger, it can motivate them to have this sometimes awkward conversation," says Shirley Malcom, head of the Education & Resources Directorate at AAAS. "That's where the science can help."
Members of AAAS' The Science Inside Alcohol Project are writing a book for middle school parents and developing an interactive Web-based science and health curriculum explaining how alcohol affects adolescents' brains and bodies. Based on extensive research, the AAAS team suggests five steps parents can take to talk with their kids about alcohol.
1. Find Teachable Moments - We live in a culture of celebrity. If a celebrity your child admires admits to a drinking problem, or an instance of alcohol abuse occurs in your community, talk about it. Ask your middle school student if she knows anyone who drinks alcohol and whether it is at parties or has been brought into her school. Answer questions. Have this conversation often.
2. Talk to Your Kids When Everything is Fine - Middle school students are volatile, hormonal beings. They are sweet and wonderful one moment, and blow up the next. Pick a time when things are quiet and they're a captive audience such as in the backseat of your car. Don't take no for an answer.
3. Engage Your Kids in the Science of Alcohol - Adolescents are incredibly self-involved. Alcohol can cause memory loss, impair sports performance, incite embarrassing behavior and affect how they feel and look. Make them aware of these facts. If there is a history of alcoholism in your family explain about genetic predispositions towards alcohol abuse.
4. Be Vigilant - There's no alternative to monitoring your kids. Have an early curfew. Know where they are at all times. Even if you are not home on a weeknight, make sure you can reach your kids by phone. Get to know their new friends and their parents. Find out what their rules and level of engagement are.
5. Learn to Trust Your Child - Now's the time when all the work you've put into creating a value system for your child begins to pay off. Set limits and enforce rules, but remember to give your child room to make his or her decisions, within your comfort zone. Praise them when they do well. It's worth a thousand words.
The Science Inside Alcohol Project of AAAS is funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
SOURCE AAAS
Friday, August 29, 2008
Quicker Liquor
QUICKER LIQUOR
Should we lower the legal drinking age?
By Darshak Sanghavi
Posted Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008, at 6:58 AM ET
Last week, a coalition of presidents from more than 100 colleges and universities called on authorities to consider lowering the legal drinking age. The so-called Amethyst Initiative, founded by a fed-up former president of Middlebury College, asserts that "twenty-one is not working" because the current drinking age has led to a "culture of dangerous, clandestine binge-drinking" on college campuses. "How many times," they rhetorically ask, "must we relearn the lessons of prohibition?"
These academic heavyweights—who include the presidents of institutions like Duke, Spelman, Tufts, and Johns Hopkins—believe that lowering the legal drinking age can promote more responsible alcohol use. The familiar argument is that singling out alcohol to make it off-limits is odd, since 18-year-olds may legally join the military, vote, buy cigarettes, and watch porn.
Meanwhile over the past decades, binge-drinking has soared among young people. The 1984 federal law that helps determine the legal drinking age is up for renewal next year, and the college presidents believe this law "stifles meaningful debate" and discourages "new ideas" to stop binge-drinking, like allowing kids over 18 to buy alcohol after a course on its "history, culture, law, chemistry, biology, neuroscience as well as exposure to accident victims and individuals in recovery."
It's a nice to think that simply lowering the drinking age would make college students behave better (as well as cheer loudly). But the Amethyst Initiative—named for the gemstone believed by ancient Greeks to stave off drunkenness—has naively exaggerated the benefits of a lower legal drinking age. They ignore some of the implications of their recommendations, fail to acknowledge their own complicity in the campus drinking problem, and ultimately gloss over better solutions to bingeing. Kind of like addicts might.
In truth, the higher drinking age saves lives and has little relation to college bingeing. Some history: After her daughter was killed by an intoxicated driver, Candy Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving and successfully lobbied for the 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act (the law that's up for reauthorization in 2009), which gave full federal highway funds only to states that set the minimum age to purchase or consu me alcohol at 21 years. Most states immediately complied, setting the stage for a national experiment.
According to the federal study Monitoring the Future, underage drinking dropped instantly. From 1977 to 2007, the percentage of 12th graders drinking at least monthly fell from 70 percent to 45 percent—almost immediately after the law was enacted, and lastingly. Fatal car crashes involving drunk young adults dipped 32 percent, resulting in 1,000 fewer lives lost per year. Impressively, this decrease occurred despite minimal efforts at enforcement; the mere presence of the law was protective. The relationship is likely causal. In 1999, by comparison, New Zealand lowered the drinking age from 20 to 18, and fatal crashes soared.* Today, all major public health authorities, including the American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control, National Highway Traffic Safety Board, and surgeon general, support the higher drinking age.
To read the entire contents of this article please go to: http://www.slate.com/id/2198522/
Should we lower the legal drinking age?
By Darshak Sanghavi
Posted Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008, at 6:58 AM ET
Last week, a coalition of presidents from more than 100 colleges and universities called on authorities to consider lowering the legal drinking age. The so-called Amethyst Initiative, founded by a fed-up former president of Middlebury College, asserts that "twenty-one is not working" because the current drinking age has led to a "culture of dangerous, clandestine binge-drinking" on college campuses. "How many times," they rhetorically ask, "must we relearn the lessons of prohibition?"
These academic heavyweights—who include the presidents of institutions like Duke, Spelman, Tufts, and Johns Hopkins—believe that lowering the legal drinking age can promote more responsible alcohol use. The familiar argument is that singling out alcohol to make it off-limits is odd, since 18-year-olds may legally join the military, vote, buy cigarettes, and watch porn.
Meanwhile over the past decades, binge-drinking has soared among young people. The 1984 federal law that helps determine the legal drinking age is up for renewal next year, and the college presidents believe this law "stifles meaningful debate" and discourages "new ideas" to stop binge-drinking, like allowing kids over 18 to buy alcohol after a course on its "history, culture, law, chemistry, biology, neuroscience as well as exposure to accident victims and individuals in recovery."
It's a nice to think that simply lowering the drinking age would make college students behave better (as well as cheer loudly). But the Amethyst Initiative—named for the gemstone believed by ancient Greeks to stave off drunkenness—has naively exaggerated the benefits of a lower legal drinking age. They ignore some of the implications of their recommendations, fail to acknowledge their own complicity in the campus drinking problem, and ultimately gloss over better solutions to bingeing. Kind of like addicts might.
In truth, the higher drinking age saves lives and has little relation to college bingeing. Some history: After her daughter was killed by an intoxicated driver, Candy Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving and successfully lobbied for the 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act (the law that's up for reauthorization in 2009), which gave full federal highway funds only to states that set the minimum age to purchase or consu me alcohol at 21 years. Most states immediately complied, setting the stage for a national experiment.
According to the federal study Monitoring the Future, underage drinking dropped instantly. From 1977 to 2007, the percentage of 12th graders drinking at least monthly fell from 70 percent to 45 percent—almost immediately after the law was enacted, and lastingly. Fatal car crashes involving drunk young adults dipped 32 percent, resulting in 1,000 fewer lives lost per year. Impressively, this decrease occurred despite minimal efforts at enforcement; the mere presence of the law was protective. The relationship is likely causal. In 1999, by comparison, New Zealand lowered the drinking age from 20 to 18, and fatal crashes soared.* Today, all major public health authorities, including the American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control, National Highway Traffic Safety Board, and surgeon general, support the higher drinking age.
To read the entire contents of this article please go to: http://www.slate.com/id/2198522/
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Illegal Liquor Sales
A WCCO news report identified the liquor store clerk from Inver Grove Heights who was sentenced to jail for selling alcohol to a teen-ager without checking for identification. That teenager later got into a car, ran a red light, and killed a University of Minnesota student when she was only blocks away from her home in Apple Valley. The 19 year old driving the car was tested at a .20 BAC; she was eventually given a four-year prison sentence. Vue, the person who illegally sold the teenage driver the alcohol, was sentenced to three months in jail by a Dakota County Judge on August 11th. To learn more about this tragic incident click on http://wcco.com/crime/clerk.convicted.crash.2.793008.html.
Red Wing and Wanamingo City Councils have passed city ordinances requiring all sellers and servers of liquor to complete a responsible beverage service training course and to pass a test that checks their knowledge of Minnesota laws pertaining to alcohol. (The course also provides tips to sellers and servers about detecting underage drinkers who attempting to obtain liquor.) These training ordinances have been proven to reduce the availability of liquor to underage drinkers in communities. When liquor is sold illegally, community residents are placed at risk. The tragedy experienced by the families involved in the drunken teen crash is what the CHI is working to eliminate in Goodhue County. Liquor licensees in Goodhue County do not want to sell liquor illegally. Requiring training courses helps licensees hire and retain employees who are professional and diligent about keeping children and families safe from alcohol-related tragedies.
Red Wing and Wanamingo City Councils have passed city ordinances requiring all sellers and servers of liquor to complete a responsible beverage service training course and to pass a test that checks their knowledge of Minnesota laws pertaining to alcohol. (The course also provides tips to sellers and servers about detecting underage drinkers who attempting to obtain liquor.) These training ordinances have been proven to reduce the availability of liquor to underage drinkers in communities. When liquor is sold illegally, community residents are placed at risk. The tragedy experienced by the families involved in the drunken teen crash is what the CHI is working to eliminate in Goodhue County. Liquor licensees in Goodhue County do not want to sell liquor illegally. Requiring training courses helps licensees hire and retain employees who are professional and diligent about keeping children and families safe from alcohol-related tragedies.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Alcohol-Driven Offenses Rise Sharply Under 24-hour Licensing in U.K.
An August 10 2008 article in the UK Sunday Telegraph reported a substantial increase in crime has been the result of a new law that extended alcohol serving hours in England and Wales. Police report that "offenses ranging from excessive intoxication to violent behavior are on the rise in nearly every police jurisdiction since new laws allow pubs and clubs to maintain long serving hours." Specifically, public order offenses are up 136% since the longer serving hours went into effect.
This article is particularly interesting in light of the Minnesota legislature's recent decision to allow alcohol serving hours to be extended to 4:00 am in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention. It's difficult to understand whose interests are being promoted by allowing the extended serving of alcohol during the Convention. However, it will be important for Minnesota officials to track levels of criminal activity and public disorder problems experienced by law enforcement in the metro area during the period of time of extended hours. Hopefully, we will see signs of the emerging trend toward healthy lifestyles, and longer serving hours in St. Paul will not reflect the experience of London.
This article is particularly interesting in light of the Minnesota legislature's recent decision to allow alcohol serving hours to be extended to 4:00 am in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention. It's difficult to understand whose interests are being promoted by allowing the extended serving of alcohol during the Convention. However, it will be important for Minnesota officials to track levels of criminal activity and public disorder problems experienced by law enforcement in the metro area during the period of time of extended hours. Hopefully, we will see signs of the emerging trend toward healthy lifestyles, and longer serving hours in St. Paul will not reflect the experience of London.
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