Every year underage drinking during Homecoming, Spring Break, Prom, and Graduation seasons results in an alcohol-related statistic – sexual assaults, alcohol poisoning, fatal car crashes, and other preventable accidents.
Young people are heavily inundated by the sophisticated advertising of alcohol. Messages appear on their clothing, in magazines, on TV, on the Internet and on billboards. The alcohol industry spends over $1 BILLION a year on advertising, and a substantial portion of that advertising reaches an underage audience. Alcohol is presented in a style that is attractive to youth. Alcohol Related Statistics: Youth are drinking within the context of a society in which alcohol use is normative behavior. Youth drinking studies show that more than eight out of ten youth surveyed reported that it was “very easy” or “fairly easy” to obtain alcohol.
The importance of the role parents and all adult community members should play in combating underage drinking cannot be over-stated. Teens are less likely to initiate alcohol use when they have parents’ support. It’s up to all of us to ensure that our actions aim to reduce underage drinking and that parents and other adults do not facilitate underage drinking.