Underage Drinking in Adair County Can Make Prom Night Memorable for Wrong Reasons
Online, June 1, 2010 (Newswire.com)
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For more information:
Michelle Roberts, Director of Communications & Marketing
Health Literacy Missouri
mroberts@healthliteracymissouri.org
(314) 345-5589
Graphic included at end of release
Underage Drinking in Adair County Can Make Prom Night Memorable for Wrong Reasons
HLM NEWS SERVICE - As prom season approaches, students at high schools like Kirksville Senior. High in Kirksville start thinking about the dresses, tuxedos, flowers, and the rest of the night's necessities.
While every teen wants it to be a night to remember, alcohol can easily make it a night to forget. Although teens don't start drinking on prom night, by the time they're a senior in high school 75 percent of students have already consumed alcohol.
"I encourage parents to listen as much as they talk during conversations about alcohol, asking kids open questions about what he or she knows about alcohol or why teens drink," says Dr. Susan O'Neill, psychologist at the University of Missouri's Student Health Center.
"This communicates respect to kids and gives parents a natural opportunity for giving information without lecturing. These kinds of talks become times to connect when parents regularly "check-in" with their teens during the conversation, asking "What do you think about that idea?"
Even though teens can't legally purchase alcohol in Adair County or any other county in Missouri, this doesn't mean teens don't have access to it. In fact, in 2007, underage drinkers consumed almost 17 percent of all of the alcohol sold in the state. One study found that four out of five teens found it easy to get alcohol from a friend's parent.
One aspect of underage drinking is binge drinking, which is an especially risky behavior for teens. According to the Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center, 29 percent of Missouri students in grades 9 to 12 had five or more drinks in row in the past month. That works out to about 1761 teens ages 14 to 18 in Adair County who have been binge drinking.
Often this type of behavior leads to fatalities on the roads. In 2007, there were an estimated 48 traffic fatalities and 1,600 nonfatal traffic fatalities linked to underage drunk drivers in Missouri. And young people don't need have a drink in their hand to be at risk, either. That's because 28 percent of students in grades 9 to 12 rode in the vehicle of a driver who had been drinking alcohol.
The Web site The Cool Spot www.thecoolspot.gov is a good place for teens to go for facts about alcohol and how to say "no" to peer pressure when it comes to drinking. For parents, Dr. O'Neill recommends, the suggestions in the booklet, "Make a Difference: Talk to Your Child About Alcohol," that has information on the warning signs of drinking, prevention strategies, and alcohol risks. It can be found online at: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/MakeADiff_HTML/makediff.htm#Talkingwith.
Health Literacy Missouri recommends the following suggestions from the "Make a Difference" booklet on how to host an alcohol-free party for prom time or anytime:
• Agree on a guest list - and don't admit party crashers.
• Discuss ground rules with your child before the party.
• Encourage your teen to plan the party with a responsible friend so they'll have support if problems arise.
• If a guest brings alcohol into your house, ask him or her to leave.
• Serve plenty of snacks and non-alcoholic drinks.
• Be visible and available - but don't join the party!
Adults and parents can help make prom night a night a memorable one for teens, not one they'll want to forget - or can't remember at all.
ABOUT Health Literacy Missouri: Health Literacy Missouri http://www.healthliteracymissouri.org defines health literacy as "getting and using easy to understand information about your health." Health Literacy Missouri is a non-profit corporation based in St. Louis and serving the entire state of Missouri. Its goal is to improve the health of all Missourians while becoming a national leader in health literacy.
ABOUT I-SHD: Informing Smart Health Decisions (http://i-shd.missouri.edu) is a health news service funded by Health Literacy Missouri and based in the Missouri School of Journalism. Its goal is to provide locally relevant health information to media outlets throughout the state and beyond.
http://www.healthliteracymissouri.org
Michelle Roberts
Director of Communications & Marketing
Health Literacy Missouri
326 N. Euclid Ave. #2N
St. Louis, MO 63108
314.361.9400, 314.361.9412