Alcohol in America Taking Action to Prevent Abuse (1985) / Chapter Skim
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6. Drinking by Young People
6. Drinking by Young People
Pages 70-81
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From page 70... ...
Yet most adolescents are not yet ready to make all their own decisions, to establish an indepenclent life free of parental constraints. The conflicts of this gradual separation exacerbate what is already a difficult time.
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From page 71... ...
No problem." This blitz of promotion, says Schuchard, continually antagonizes parents and educators who are trying to teach young people about drinking. "The industry talks about responsible marketing," she says, "but I see alcoholic milk shakes in stores and I hear advertising on teen-oriented radio stations for beer, wine, and other kinds of drinks....
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From page 72... ...
. ~ _ ",`1 Alcohol abuse can be a major problem on college campuses, where most students reach the minimum drinking age in an environment marked by ready access to alcohol and great personal freedom.
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From page 73... ...
For instance, teenagers might be less likely to drink in their cars if bars and taverns are open to them, or they might stop driving to neighboring jurisdictions with lower minimum drinking ages. The studies generally found, however, that reductions in the drinking age did cause a small but consistent increase in the rate of crashes and deaths involving younger drivers.
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From page 74... ...
In 1984 Congress passed a law that would reduce federal highway funds to states that have not raised their drinking ages to 21 by 1986. This is a strong incentive for states with minimum ages below 21 to raise them.
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From page 75... ...
According to the panel, "High schools and universities should adopt the objective of shaping drinking practices for the student populations while they are of school age and should register success if they succeed in reducing drinking and problems associated with drinking for their current populations. This reorientation may not require much change in current approaches and materials, but it would certainly require replacing the prevailing vague
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From page 76... ...
Parents are legally liable for the behavior of minors in their home and under their supervision, whether the minors are their own children or someone else' s. "If the daughter is having a slumber party and the parents are upstairs watching television, the kids get drunk from bottles out of the liquor cabinet and one of them drives off and kills someone, it is the host parents' responsibility,"
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From page 77... ...
The point made the teenagers recognize their own responsibility not to get parents in trouble." This legal liability shades gradually into the realm of parental and ethical responsibilities. As with the legal issues, at least part of the justification for these latter responsibilities is the health of the child.
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From page 78... ...
Over the years 1975-80, an average of 29 percent of students surveyed reported driving while intoxicated, 23 percent reported academic problems related to drinking, 17 percent reported minor physical problems associated with drinking, 16 percent reported alcohol-related abusive behavior, and 14 percent had trouble with their jobs because of alcohol. Smaller percentages reported property damage caused by drunkenness or dependence on alcohol.
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From page 79... ...
This led to the Safety Action Program, a cooperative effort of the town and university. According to Kraft, this program "included both education about drinking and driving in the secondary schools and on college campuses, and stricter, highly visible enforcement of drunk driving laws with subsequent convictions." In 1982 questions by off-campus bar owners about their liability for accidents led to an expansion of the on-campus bartender training to off-campus establishments.
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From page 80... ...
"The focus of community alcohol program efforts rapidly shifted to preventing certain problems by a variety of strategies, only some of which focused on heavy drinkers, including alcoholics." Once the problem is defined, programs like DAEP should enlist aid from as many groups and individuals as possible. Programs too often overlook such obvious partners as distribution centers (bars, restaurants, liquor stores, etc.)
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From page 81... ...
DRONING BY YOUNG PEOPLE / S] by itself can polarize community members around unpopular laws.
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