BeTheParents.org
Most people know someone with a drinking problem or have had someone from their past who had a drinking problem. Alcoholism effects families, friends and communities. More than likely the person with the drinking problem started to drink in his/her teens. Research shows:
- A person who starts drinking at the legal age of 21 has only a 7 percent chance of becoming addicted.
- Children who begin drinking at age 13 have a 45 percent chance of becoming alcohol dependent.
- Today some youth are now taking their first drink as young as age 8; that is the third grade.
Approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die each year in this nation as a result of underage drinking, which includes motor vehicle crashes, alcohol poisoning, and unintentional injuries according to Jill Spineti, President and CEO of the Governor’s Prevention Partnership.
BeTheParents.org is a prevention tool to educate Idaho’s parents, guardians, community members and organizations on the detrimental effects of underage drinking. The campaign was created with the support of the Idaho State Prevention Committee with the hope of motivating and empowering parents to take a role in their children’s lives, with the objective of eliminating underage drinking and its devastating effects here in Idaho.
A recent study conducted by Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and Liberty Mutual Insurance revealed that almost one out of every three teens admitted to drinking alcohol in the presence of their parents. Similarly, 25 percent said their parents allow them to drink alcohol away from home. Oftentimes young drinkers and their parents don’t realize they are in trouble until it is too late. Youth get enslaved to toxins that disconnect them from a healthy life, which can permanently affect achievement of a young person’s dreams and aspirations.
Parents have influence
Parents who are actively involved in their kids’ lives and set clear rules and expectations on no alcohol use have a powerful influence on their children’s decision to remain alcohol- free. “What parents may not realize is that children say parental disapproval of underage drinking is the key reason they have chosen not to drink” stated Charles Curie, former Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) administrator, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Teen brains
Alcohol affects a teenager’s developing brain differently than an adult’s. Alcohol can damage kids’ brains and increase the risk of addiction. Memory, learning and impulse control can be seriously impaired leading to early addiction. One example is an adolescent brain is not fully formed. It has not yet developed the “shut-off” switch that adults have developed which makes a person get sleepy or pass out from too much alcohol—and thus stop drinking. As a result, most teens can drink dangerous amounts of alcohol before passing out — in most cases much more than an adult. It is important to know that the lethal dose of alcohol (that can cause death) is just a tiny bit more than the passing-out dose. This is called alcohol poisoning.
The epidemic of teenage drinking is preventable. Everyone can play a role in helping youth make positive choices; explore BeTheParents.org website to learn how to be part of the solution.
