Abstain from Underage DrinkingBy JaNey Carrothers

Underage DrinkingAlcohol use by persons under age 21 years is a major public health problem. Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than tobacco and illicit drugs, and is responsible for more than 4,700 annual deaths among underage youth.

Drinking Levels Among Youth

The 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey6 found that among high school students, during the past 30 days:• 39% drank some amount of alcohol.• 22% binge drank.• 8% drove after drinking alcohol.• 24% rode with a driver who had been

drinking alcohol.

Youth and AlcoholApproximately 11 million American youth under the age of 21 drink alcohol. Nearly half of them drink to excess, consuming five or more drinks in a row, one or more times in a two week period.Alcohol is the most frequently used drug by high school seniors, and its use is increasing. Boys usually try alcohol for the first time at just 11 years old, while the average age for American girls' first drink is 13. In short, our nation's youth are flirting with disaster.

FactsUnderage drinking is a factor in nearly half of all teen automobile crashes, the leading cause of death among teenagers.Alcohol use contributes to youth suicides, homicides and fatal injuries – the leading cause of death among youth after auto crashes. Alcohol abuse is linked to as many as two-thirds of all sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and college students.Alcohol is a major factor in unprotected sex among youth, increasing their risk of contracting HIV or other transmitted diseases.

PreventionResearcher are continuing to identify the most important characteristics of different intervention strategies that contribute to the strategies' effectiveness which can be put into 4 categories:• School Strategies• Extracurricular Strategies• Family Strategies• Policy and Community Strategies

School StrategiesDevelopmentally appropriate information about alcohol and other drugsDevelopment of personal, social, and resistance skillsEmphasis on normative educationTeacher training and supportActive family and community involvementCultural sensitivity

Extracurricular Strategies

Supervision by positive adult role modelsYouth leadershipIntensive programsIncorporation of skills building

Families StrategiesImprovement of parent-child relations using positive reinforcement, listening and communication skills, and problem solvingMonitoring of children’s activities during adolescenceStrengthening of family bondingDevelopment of skillsInvolvement of child and parents

Policy and Community Strategies

Excise taxesMinimum legal drinking age of 21Citizen action to reduce commercial and social availability of alcohol

Student AwarenessStudents in high school who are trying to promote Students in high schools can team up with local alcoholic beverage stores and ask them to help them from preventing teens from buying alcohol Students should aware parents and friends about not buying or providing alcohol for students.

Student ParticipationStudents can conduct a social experiment that signifies the amount of deaths that occur with underage drinking.

Each day of the week, students that are participating in experiment, with the permission of the school will dress up in either all black or white to signify they died in an alcohol related death.

At the end of the week, students are asked questions such as “Have you ever had an alcoholic beverage?” and debrief of the students that they saw that had “died”.

Student ParticipationStudents can hold a play that centers around a group of students who are coming home from a party and a few students had a drink and a few did not. They get in a car accident and most of the passengers die except the driver. People to also be involved in play would be:• Police• EMT• Firefighters

Student ParticipationThe students that are watching will get the message that underage drinking is a serious problem and the importance of avoiding peer pressure.

Works Cited"Fact Sheets Underage Drinking." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2013."Facts About Youth and Alcohol." Facts About Youth and Alcohol. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.Komro, Kelli A., and Traci L. Toomey. "Strategies to Prevent Underage Drinking." Strategies to Prevent Underage Drinking. N.p., Aug. 2002. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.