ASAP Coalition

24.08.2008 10:13:31

clare

• As one of the most studied public health laws in history, the scientific research from more than 50 high-quality studies all found that the 21 law saves lives. Studies show that the 21 law causes those under the age of 21 to drink less and to continue to drink less throughout their 20s.
• About 5,000 people under age 21 die each year due to underage drinking. This does not include sexual assaults, violence and injuries.
• The earlier youth drink (average age of first drink is about 16), the more likely they will become dependent on alcohol and drive drunk later in life.
• Setting the drinking age at 21 has saved lives on our roads. Between 1983 and 1989, the number of drivers at a .10 BAC (the old illegal limit for adults) involved in fatal crashes increased, except for two age groups – 16-20 year olds, which decreased 32 percent, and 21-24 year olds, which decreased 18 percent.
• The Centers for Disease Control has looked at 49 peer-reviewed studies of places that changed their drinking age and found conclusively that a 21 minimum drinking age decreases fatalities by 16 percent.
• All underage drinking is unsafe drinking. Research has shown that the brain continues to
  develop into the early twenties. The part that controls reasoning and cognitive ability takes the longest to mature; thus, underage drinking, especially heavy drinking, affects memory and reasoning. The part of the brain responsible for forming new memories, is noticeably smaller in youth who abuse alcohol. Alcohol use in adolescence also decreases executive functioning, memory, spatial operations, and attention among adolescents.

Make a decision and take a stand: voice your support for the 21 mimimum legal drinking age to your friend, family and legislators.

Bulleted information above is a summary of MADD's data written by Ken Shapiro of the Office of National Dru Control Policy.

Alcohol

12.08.2008 01:08:20

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23% of full-time college students report binge drinking three or more times during the previous two weeks…

50% of America's 5.4 million full-time college students abuse drugs or drink alcohol on binges at least once a month…

This spring, many County parents witnessed a child graduate from high school. In August a number of those same parents will leave a child at a college dorm and pray that the choices he makes in the months ahead will lead to personal growth rather than self-destruction. Why do so many college youth choose to engage in the self-destructive behavior of binge drinking (having five drinks for males and four drinks for females at one "drinking occasion”)? Two explanations are that binge drinking is fashionable and our culture gives mixed messages about alcohol consumption.

First, binge drinking is perceived as “fashionable” by a high percentage of college students. According to a 2008 study published by British researchers, 18-24 year old binge drinkers believe that all or most of their friends are binge drinkers as well. They copy the behavior of their friends, family members and colleagues. Binge drinking is the “in” thing to do.

Second, our culture gives young adults mixed messages about alcohol consumption. Media and advertisements sell social drinking, and in particular binge drinking, as a fun, typical activity for young adults. Moreover, although alcohol advertising was once illegal in Maine, State and Federal legislative bodies no longer closely regulate alcohol advertising. In 2003, the Beer Institute and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States voluntarily agreed to limit television advertising only to programs with adult audiences of 70% or greater. Not surprisingly, a 2007 study by Georgetown University's Center on Alcohol Advertising and Youth (CAMY) revealed that volunteer controls have not been implemented by a number of major brewers, including Budweiser, Miller, Coors, Hennessey Cognac, Smirnoff Vodka and Mike's Hard Lemonade. In fact, "youth ages 12-20 were exposed to an average of 216 TV ads for alcohol beverages in 2007, up from 201 in 2001.

So what does all this mean? We as a society and community have to get our story straight. We have to communicate one, unified and consistent message to youth: underage and binge drinking is unsafe and unhealthy. This must be conveyed through media and adult behavior that communicates that binge drinking is unfashionable, by passing legislation placing limits on how alcohol can be advertised and imposing fines on violators, and by holding adults accountable when they supply alcohol to minors.

In 1908 there wasn’t a significant problem with youth binge drinking because the culture gave a clear message that doing so was unacceptable. We have to resurrect that message if we want to save our youth from self-destruction.

Statistics cited above are from a 2007 study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University and from Join Together. Quotes are from articles published by Join Together.

Alcohol