Enforcement works

According to WGME13, Portland Police handed out citations to two bars this week--both involving visibly intoxicated persons.

Mathews Pub was cited for serving a visibly intoxicated patron, and Downtown Lounge was cited for letting visibly intoxicated people into the bar.

We would like to commend Portland PD for continuing to enforce liquor laws, especially those regarding intoxicated people and, of course, underage drinking (see our recent blog post).

It’s good to see publicity about this kind of enforcement, especially since teens are four times more likely to drink if they don’t think they will be caught by police (2008 MYDAUS).

And we hope that bars are learning more about not serving to already intoxicated people – especially since, under the Maine Liquor Liability Act, bartenders can be sued if a visibly intoxicated person (or minor) hurts someone else. A bartender or owner can be held liable for $350,000 in damages and UNLIMITED medical expenses.

It’s pretty clear to us that it’s not worth the risk to provide alcohol for a minor, or serve someone who’s already drunk.

Parents Connecting for Alcohol-Free Youth

This fall, the Maine Office of Substance Abuse (OSA) is launching a new resource co-developed with 21 Reasons and Maine’s Environmental Substance Abuse Prevention Center (MESAP).

“Connecting for Alcohol-Free Youth: A Parent Discussion – Facilitator’s Guide” is an innovative tool to help empower parents to prevent underage drinking. Check it out here!

The guide provides step-by-step instruction for hosting and facilitating small parent discussions, using a format inspired by the “Tupperware” model. Each discussion is meant to be friendly and relaxed, held in a home or a similarly comfortable community setting—for example, a local coffee shop or a meeting room in the public library. While designed primarily for parents of 5th- 8th graders, these discussions are appropriate for parents with younger children as well as older teenagers.

Geoffrey Miller, Associate Director of OSA, says:

“These discussions are designed to help you provide local parents with an opportunity to connect with other parents in a way that establishes shared monitoring strategies to prevent underage drinking.

“We are very excited about this new model, and look forward to seeing it carried out across the state. Success stories from the piloted communities are truly inspiring: One of the parent groups found the meeting so valuable that they formed a parenting group; many signed on to do more meetings; some were trained as facilitators; and others continued working on this initiative by becoming involved in their local community coalition. This is what we would like to see happen in communities across Maine.”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has approved a change in format for Maine’s 2010 Preventing Underage Drinking Meetings. Rather than using the traditional town hall meeting format, Maine community-based organizations that participate in this initiative will be using “Connecting For Alcohol-Free Youth” in a small-meeting format with parents.

In fact, SAMHSA was so impressed with the discussion guide and this concept that they requested to offer the guide as a national resource!

We are so excited to assist SAMHSA and OSA in their efforts to prevent underage drinking; we hope that the upcoming parent meetings will inspire our communities here in Maine and across the country.

Parent reports underage drinking party

Over the weekend, Portland police broke up an underage drinking party, thanks to the report of a parent whose teen was involved:

Charges stem from Portland teen party

PORTLAND – Police broke up a party during the weekend involving 35 to 40 teenagers, mostly from Deering and Portland high schools. Police were called to 16 Hope Ave. at 11:50 p.m. Saturday, after the parent of a teenager who had been drinking at the party reported it, police said …Police issued a court summons to a 16-year-old for furnishing the alcohol. [A father and son] were ordered to appear in court on charges of furnishing a place for minors to drink.

Reporting a party can be difficult choice for a parent, and we appreciate this parent’s decision to prioritize the health and safety of the young people involved. It’s up to each one of us to help make sure youth are safe, and we all are responsible for reporting dangerous situations—like underage drinking parties.

To those who are wondering, “What’s the big deal as long as they’re not driving?” we would point out that every year, alcohol contributes to more youth deaths than all other illegal drugs combined, and only 1/3 of those deaths are from car crashes.

The reality is that 2/3 of underage drinking deaths are the result of suicides, homicides, and injuries like alcohol poisoning, drowning, burns, falls, and suffocation. And there is collateral damage as well: underage drinking also increases youth risk of depression, addiction, sexual assault, teen pregnancy, school failure, and delinquency.

There is nothing to celebrate about that.

If you hear of an underage drinking party, report it to your local police department. A list of numbers for Southern Maine police departments is available here.

More tips for parental monitoring are available on our Parent Resources page.

Alcohol: Lose the caffeine, add the... protein?

Recently, two different pre-mixed alcoholic beverages have been causing quite a stir.

The first is the alcoholic energy drink. According to the New York Times, companies who make products such as Joose and Four Loko now have 30 days to prove that their products are “safe”, otherwise the FDA will impose a ban on all caffeinated alcohol drinks.


We’re going to go out on a limb here and say that it’s obvious these drinks are anything but safe. As both the New York Times article and an article from 2008 in Time magazine have reported, combining a stimulant (caffeine) with a depressant (alcohol) will most likely cause you to underestimate how drunk you really are. You might feel like you are not impaired, but your BAC will tell a different story.


And while many news stories comment on the high alcohol content, they don’t mention what that higher alcohol content means. Let’s compare a traditional serving of beer with a can of Four Loko (which has one of the highest alcohol contents of the caffeinated drinks currently on the market). A beer is 12 oz, and a can of Four Loko is almost 24 oz. A serving of beer typically has around 5.0% alcohol by volume. A Four Loko can have as much as 12% alcohol by volume. So the serving size is twice as large, AND the alcohol content is more than doubled. If you do the math, you’ll find that drinking a can of Four Loko is like drinking FOUR beers.


Wait a minute, isn’t four beers (in a short amount of time, say, two hours) the definition of binge drinking? (at least for women, since that’ll get your BAC up to about 0.08 – it’s around five drinks in the same time frame for men). Hopefully, the risks are becoming clear. People don’t know how much they’re drinking, will drink it quickly, and won’t notice how drunk they are due to the caffeine.


And that’s not all. Researchers at Wake Forest University found that students who drank alcohol with energy drinks, when compared to those who drank alcohol that wasn’t mixed with energy drinks, were more likely to be injured, to ride with a drunk driver, or to be the victim or perpetrator of sexual assault. There’s even a risk for heart problems, since you’re sending two opposing messages to your central nervous system. With evidence like this, we sincerely hope the FDA (and the beverage companies) will do the right thing and take these products off the shelves.


The other beverage is relatively new, but it’s no less mind-boggling than the first. The founder of a company that runs several nightclubs and bars has created Devotion Spirits, which boasts the world’s first vodka infused with – wait for it – protein.




The brains behind the operation, Drew Adelman, came up with the idea as a product for people who are serious about their fitness – and apparently about their partying. The product claims include that the protein lessens the harsh taste of vodka, creates a smoother feel, and minimizes your hangover.


Again, we hope it’s glaringly obvious that this product is neither a miraculous non-hangover-inducing alcohol, nor a good idea for true fitness buffs. Just one night of heavy drinking can have the equivalent of 14 days of lost training (American Athletic Institute, 2004). Adding protein can’t and won’t change that. And we won’t even begin to describe our horror when we learned that the graphics on the product’s “sexy bottle” (the company’s words, not ours) were inspired by Mr. Adelman’s daughter. While the site doesn’t mention her age, it definitely sounds like she’s very young.


Let’s be clear: moderate drinking by adults over 21 is not a bad thing. But the very existence of these products encourage underage or irresponsible consumption. Let’s think about what we’re telling youth—and ourselves—about the consequences of drinking.

Football season? Time to free the bowl!

That's the Super Bowl, you know. The Marin Institute has once again launched a campaign encouraging kids to submit anti-alcohol ads in opposition to the tsunami of beer and alcohol advertising that happen during the Super Bowl. The contest is called "Free the Bowl."

In this year's contest Big Alcohol is personified as "Big Al:"

Marin Institute has launched its second annual, nationwide anti-alcohol-advertising contest, FREE the BOWL™. This year's theme is to "Free the Bowl from Big Al," (a.k.a Big Alcohol), as youth contestants will identify where they see the negative influences of Big Al in their lives.

The contest for youth and young adults from ages 10 to 25 seeks original anti-alcohol-ads 30 to 60 seconds long to counter excessive alcohol advertising and marketing. The alcohol industry watchdog launched the contest at www.FreeTheBowl.com today and will use the site as well as YouTube to showcase video entries. The contest deadline is January 25, 2010, two weeks before the Super Bowl, the biggest alcohol advertising and inebriation day of the year. This year groups may compete, such as high school or college classes.

Are you thinking of making a Free the Bowl ad? Check out last year's winners.

Controversy Brewing in Aroostook County

Aroostook County substance abuse prevention professionals, law enforcement, and Maine’s Attorney General have all been taking some heat from global media sources because of their decision to ban the sale of Fentimans Victorian Lemonade to minors.

There are two reasons why this decision was necessary:
1) Because Fentimans’ products are carbonated through fermentation, they contain a small amount of alcohol (0.5% or less).
2) Fentimans’ products are designed and marketed in such a way as to be considered “imitation liquor.”

Fentimans certainly meets the alcohol content requirements… but what about the imitation liquor charge? Consider the following:

• Fentimans itself markets the drink as an adult soft drink (“Fentimans botanically brewed beverages are the original adult soft drinks.")
  

• A product in the same product line, the Shandy, contains non-alcoholic beer, and another product, the Seville Orange Jigger, refers to a device used for measuring alcohol.

• Prominent food reviews before the Houlton incident considered Fentimans an adult soda and a good mixer for alcoholic beverages.

It’s disingenuous for Fentimans to now claim that their product is “just a soda.” By suggesting that the alcohol content is the only reason for the “imitation liquor” classification, Fentimans displays not only a misunderstanding of Maine state law, but a complete disregard for how their product marketing and packaging might contribute to making underage drinking acceptable. Perhaps Fentimans should instead be concerned with children in their own country, especially when the UK leads the world in underage drinking and children under 12 regularly get admitted to ER's for alcohol poisoning.

The Fentimans Blog does make a good point: that other companies sell product (IBC root beer in particular) in beer-imitating containers—and that such containers are problematic. However, IBC does not contain alcohol, which exempts it from Maine’s “imitation liquor” statutes. Other products, like kombucha, which do contain a small amount of alcohol from fermentation, aren’t mistakeable for an alcoholic drink, and so are also exempt.

On their site, the Fentimans’ company snarkily makes fun of the folks in the County who are earnestly looking out for the welfare of youth, but we applaud the Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition for taking an unpopular stand. Underage drinking is a serious matter, and when kids enjoy pretending to drink they are setting themselves up for some bad habits.

October Tip of the Month

Decoding Decanter's Message

Recently, one of the “Parent Resource” blogs we link to, Decoder, wrote an entry about an article in Decanter magazine entitled “How To Get Your Kids Into Wine.” The Decoder blogger points out the assumptions made and issues overlooked in the article, and we’d like to discuss some of them and add our own thoughts here.

Beverly Blanning, the author of the Decanter article, jumps right in, arguing that

There has to be an alternative message about wine for children, a way to install an appreciation of its essential qualities from an early age; one that could arguably save them from likely abuse. (emphasis added)

As the Decoder blogger points out, the best way to avoid alcohol abuse is to wait to drink until the age of 21. In fact, youth who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to experience substance abuse as adults.

“It’s awful,” said my friend, “they’re taught at school that alcohol is really dangerous.”

Blanning proves that point by including a quote from the UK’s chief medical officer about how not drinking is the healthiest option for young people, as alcohol can be hazardous to the health, even among older teens. The US Surgeon General agrees, in a publication that came out in 2007, saying that “Underage alcohol consumption in the United States is a widespread and persistent public health and safety problem that creates serious personal, social, and economic consequences for adolescents, their families, communities, and the Nation as a whole.”

Blanning also argues that

the mere existence of magazines such as Decanter, the hundreds of websites devoted to discussing wine and the countless outpourings of individual bloggers and twitterers provide persuasive evidence that in wine's appeal lies more than its capacity to intoxicate.

Our response? Well, yes – there are wine enthusiasts. They are, and should be, adults. For teens, alcohol IS dangerous, and no amount of appreciation of the flavor or scent is going to change that. The human brain doesn’t stop developing until age 25 and drinking definitely has an effect on brain development. In addition, you have to factor in the teenage deaths from car crashes, “accidents” under the influence (like drowning, burning, and falls), and from suicides and homicides. While alcohol used in moderation by adults may not be “dangerous”, it is always a bad idea for teens.

In addition, the claim that because a market exists for something, it must be healthy, is just false. Cigarettes, anyone? Phen-fen? Steroids? Illegal drugs? People wanting to buy something (or talk about buying it) does not prove that it is a good idea.

Next, Blanning relates a conversation with a French student living in London, who says that she was never taught “about the dangers of wine”: “You must be joking… we were only taught about the dangers of strong alcohol – spirits.”

Our response? Alcohol is alcohol is alcohol. A 5 oz. glass of wine has the same amount of alcohol as a 1.5 oz shot of liquor. The dangers are exactly the same. Incidentally, this also sheds light on Blanning’s “wine has other qualities besides alcohol content” argument – that may be true, but if someone was looking to get drunk, wine could be as much a culprit as any other alcoholic beverage. And speaking with one French student does not an impartial survey make.

But speaking of impartial surveys, the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Drugs (ESPAD) survey indicates that binge drinking is a huge problem in European countries: On average 43% of the ESPAD students reported heavy episodic drinking (5 or more drinks during a sitting) during the past 30 days.

Blanning glosses over the binge drinking problems that European countries are increasingly seeing (she seems to believe the common myth that “European society takes away the lure of alcohol”). Decoder does a good job of addressing this point, saying:

She also trots out that tired old maxim about all the Europeans who grow up drinking wine at the dinner table as children and then go on to become deliriously happy and high-functioning non-alcoholic adults. Why does this myth continue to perpetuate? I live in Europe and just as it is in the US, adolescent binge drinking is a huge problem in countries such as France and Spain.

In her parting shot, Blanning suggests that some parts of wine can be enjoyed without drinking it, so it’s another great way to introduce wine to children – “the beautiful countryside… the magical, bubbling transformation of grapes into wine…” ad nauseum. She recounts a trip she took with her 9-year-old son; after asking him if he wants to go, telling him it will be fun, and getting a negative response, she says “Luckily for me, he's still in the indoctrination stage – and too young to be left alone in the house – so we went.”

Our response? Parents, we know you’re smart enough not to confuse modeling responsibility and talking with your kids about alcohol with “indoctrination.”

For more information about the role that modeling plays in preventing underage drinking, you can check out our Representing Responsibility handout or our parental monitoring resources.

Hey Portlanders

Do you ever avoid the Old Port because you're afraid for your safety? Please comment below...

21 Reasons: Now on your radio…

Portland Coalition Coordinator Jo Morrissey got to visit the Coast 93.1 morning show with hosts Tim and Eva! She had a great segment last Wednesday, September 23.

While we’d love it if we could represent 21 Reasons on every morning show, Jo’s guest appearance on Coast 93.1 was triggered by a specific segment done on the morning of September 2nd:

Morning show host Eva wanted to have a listener discussion about a situation that happened with one of her friends. Eva’s friend hosted an underage drinking party for her son and eleven of her son’s friends. The mom contacted the guests’ parents beforehand, to let them know the teens would be drinking at the party--and only one set of parents said no! The party was described by the mom as “no drama”. The mother (Eva’s friend) bought a set amount of beer and took all the car keys; the teens played beer pong and there was “only one puker.”

Eva and Tim asked listeners what they thought about the situation – did the mother do the right thing? What do other parents think about hosting parties like this? While we didn’t get to hear all of the callers, “Officer Mike” and several others had great comments about legal issues, the drinking age, and how adults model drinking behaviors.

Obviously, when we heard about this, we needed to respond. Much of our work is done with parents, to let them know that underage drinking is NOT inevitable, and we want to provide support for parents who may find themselves in a situation like this one.

Jo answered some tough questions about the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) and community norms about alcohol. She was also able to debunk some common myths about underage drinking – for instance, most teens actually DON’T drink.

A huge thanks to Tim, Eva, and Coast 93.1 for having Jo on the show and letting us share with their listeners!

Bad MADD Makes Us Sad

In a press release on September 19^th, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) introduced a bizarre new product line – non-alcoholic wines, frozen drinks, and beers.

According to the press release, the US products are going to be based on similar beverages being developed by MADD Canada. Here’s what MADD’s CEO, Chuck Hurley, had to say: "What's important to us is that a designated driver should be sober — not just the least drunk… So a virgin cocktail perhaps would be a little more festive than just a club soda and lime and allow the person to participate in the festivities but be the sober driver to get people home."

Wait, what? It almost sounds like MADD is saying that to be included in the party, you have to at least look like you’re drinking alcohol. Since in Maine, only those over 21 can buy imitation liquor, one could reasonably assume that MADD’s “mocktails” are intended for adults. But what’s wrong with a soda, punch, or a smoothie? Apparently they’re not “festive” enough.

Are you confused yet? We are. Aren’t we trying to instill youth with the self confidence and social skills they need not to make destructive decisions, like MADD’s junior partner Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)? If we expect this from a 16 year old, shouldn’t this be the norm for a 30 year old? So then why promote a product that suggests that pretending to drink “allows a person to participate in the festivities.”

MADD doesn’t offer much clarity. Here’s one of their official positions entitled No Mixed Messages: “MADD advocates elimination of any statements, slogans and other educational messages which target youth in such a way that ‘mixed messages’ about alcohol use are conveyed. Because of the '21' legal drinking age laws nationwide, messages which simply urge these youth not to drink and drive are inappropriate. Instead, messages to underage youth should convey clear ‘no use’ messages.”

In this statement, MADD advocates “clear ‘no use’ messages” for kids—and they use the same language on their "Why 21" site to talk to parents about sending mixed messages. But, with this product, MADD is still promoting the idea that adults who choose not to drink should look like they are drinking—and that festivities require at least the appearance of alcohol. How’s that for modeling responsible behavior?

Media news: YouTube!

We're going multimedia! Now you can log on to the web and check us out on YouTube! Our channel is called "21reasonsmaine" and you can watch 21 Reasons PSA's and a video from the Casco Bay Coalition. It will be even easier to find us once we launch our updated website in October - we'll have a quick link to the YouTube channel right from our home page.

Webinar for Parents

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is offering a free webinar for parents to help protect their kids from substance and alcohol use. Information is below.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America invites you to a free Webinar and presents:

Parents: You Matter, a community presentation program that provides parents and caring adults with tools and information about why kids use drugs and alcohol, and how parents can protect their children. All resources will be made available to webinar attendees, including the presentation, an annotated script and additional materials about the program. Who: Tom Hedrick, Founding Member and Senior Communications Officer, Partnership for a Drug-Free America Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT Space is limited. The deadline is August 21. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/755864587 After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the free Webinar.

C.O.P.S. Training

Here at 21 Reasons we work pretty closely with the police department to make sure that liquor laws are being enforced and to support healthy relationships between law enforcement, communities, and businesses.

But for many people the functions of the police department are shrouded in mystery and rumor. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about how the Portland Police Department works, check out this free, 10-week class being offered by the PD starting in September.

According to a press release issued by the department, “the C.O.P.S. program is intended to be an overview of the functions and operations of law enforcement personnel. Participants will not be trained as police officers.”

The topics covered will include:

The Role of the Police Officer

The Hiring Process

Laws – Maine Criminal and Civil, Federal

Police Ethics

Juvenile Justice

Dealing with the Mentally Ill

Domestic Violence and Diverse Ethnic Groups

Patrol Procedures

Use of Force

The FATS Machine – shoot/don’t shoot scenarios.

Online application available here. And tell ‘em 21 Reasons sent you.

July Underage Drinking Prevention Tip of the Month

The New York Times published the following editorial on June 30, taking a closer look at the Amethyst Initiative and the legal drinking age.

This piece makes the important point that binge drinking has risen among college-attending young adults, while it has fallen among their non-college-attending peers. Perhaps the drinking age is not the problem.

Editorial

Binge Drinking on Campus

Published: June 30, 2009

College presidents who have been blaming drinking-age laws for drunkenness at their schools had better look at their own policies. While the amount of binge drinking — downing five or more drinks in a row — remains high at colleges, it has dropped sharply among people of the same age who do not attend college.

Last year, more than 100 college presidents and chancellors called for reconsidering the legal drinking age, which was raised to 21 by all states during the 1980s.

Their reasoning seemed to be that by making it illegal for most college-age students to drink, the laws had inadvertently made it more likely that students would engage in clandestine — and difficult to supervise — binge drinking. There was some talk that the minimum age for drinking should be reduced back to 18.

Now comes new evidence that the age-21 requirement has been generally effective in reducing binge drinking — except among college students. That was the conclusion of a study by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, published in The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

The study, based on information collected over a 27-year period by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, found that binge drinking by men between 18 and 20 years old who did not attend college dropped by more than 30 percent over that period but remained statistically unchanged among similar-aged men on campus. There was no difference between college and noncollege women in the 18- to 20-year age group but a big upsurge in binge drinking by older college women.

Just why the college crowd continues to drink so heavily is not clear. Students are less likely to live with parents or spouses who can ride herd on their drinking. Most have older friends who can legally buy alcohol. Fraternities and sororities may also foster irresponsible drinking. Whatever the causes, the solutions almost certainly lie mostly within the colleges — perhaps with better counseling or stronger bans on under-age drinking — not by lowering the legal drinking age.

MADD separates from the Century Council

“Keep your friends close, your enemies closer,” is an age-old motto. Sage advice, but in this case it has been trumped by, “Watch what they do, not what they say.” That is the lesson learned as we witness the breakup of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Century Council--a non-profit funded by the leading US alcohol distillers, including Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Future Brands LLC; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; and Sidney Frank Importing Co., Inc.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, MADD has asked the Century Council to stop proclaiming they are a leader in the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving on the Council’s website or any of its other marketing materials. The request came after discovering, among other things, that the Century Council has hindered MADD’s efforts to increase punishment for first time drunk drivers.

In fact, after the Century Council pledged to support legislation to mandate ignition interlocks, MADD discovered a letter from the Century Council to New Jersey’s Assembly’s Law and Public Safety Committee stating that they do not support ignition interlocks—one of many such statements to other legislative bodies.

June Tip of the Month

When it’s time to celebrate with your teen, plan for everything:

· Talk with other parents/guardians about the party

· Explain your expectations for no alcohol

· Provide adult supervision

· Serve interesting refreshments

· No guests leaving the party & returning

Don’t forget!

If you see or hear about an underage drinking party, call your local law enforcement agency.

Your anonymous tip will help to make your community a safer place.

For more information, visit www.21reasons.org

Reminder!

This Thursday, May 21, Dr. Dennis Embry, a nationally-renowned psychologist, will be speaking in South Portland about Raising Healthy Kids.

Registration is free, and childcare is provided. For more information visit the 21 Reasons website.

Please join us!

Local Heroes

Liz Blackwell-Moore, Project Manager from the Communities Promoting Health Coalition at PROP, was on Channel 6 this weekend, talking about their new youtube video and how to prevent underage drinking.

Click the picture below to view the video:

Prom Season Prevention

WMTW Channel 8 reports on prom-season underage drinking prevention efforts in Portland:

Home Alone

A recent story on NPR’s Morning Edition covered the topic of when tweens can be left home alone:

It’s a balancing act for parents, trying to balance independence while providing effective parental monitoring skills. The conundrum for many parents is that they want to trust their kids to be home alone, yet many recall from their own teen years that inevitable tug toward the forbidden.

"They're looking for trouble, and exploring and pushing boundaries" says [William L. Coleman, professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill] "That's normal."

It's important for parents to recognize that there's a lot of variability among kids. Some will push the boundaries in reckless, dangerous ways, like experimenting with sex and drugs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System says that more than 75 percent of high school students have experimented with alcohol, 38 percent report that they've tried marijuana, and 48 percent have had sex.

Coleman says the developing brain tends to get a little reward for risky business.
"Getting that rush of adrenaline, and then talking about it to your friends," says Coleman, "that's huge."

Studies show that late afternoons—the time after school and before parents get home from work—are the prime time for kids to try out forbidden behaviors, like drinking alcohol.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America recommends:

The most important time of day to monitor is after school from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Kids are at the greatest risk for abusing drugs during these hours. Call your child's school to find out about adult-supervised activities he can take part in during these hours. Encourage her to get involved with youth groups, art or music programs, organized sports, community service or academic clubs. Follow up with your child to make sure he is actually going to the program he has chosen.

More parental monitoring tips are available here.

10 realities not reflected in the song "I love college"

10 Realities Not Reflected in the Song “I Love College”

This is song by Asher Roth which is receiving a lot of play on radio, TV, and online--especially in programs geared towards young adults.

The song “I Love College” portrays concerning messages about high-risk alcohol use and its role in college life. High-risk drinking is a behavior which negatively impacts the health, safety, and success of many of Maine’s (and our nation’s) college students and communities.

While college drinking is an issue which warrants attention and evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies, it should be noted that the frequency and extreme nature of the alcohol use and related behaviors depicted in the song “I Love College” reflect the behavior of the minority, NOT the majority, of college students.

You may preview the music video at:
http://www.mtv.com/videos/asher-roth/339182/i-love-college.jhtml

You may read the song lyrics at:
http://www.elyricsworld.com/i_love_college_lyrics_asher_roth.html

Reality #1: 6 out of 10 students reported they had not had 6 or more drinks per occasion when (and if) they drank alcohol in the past month. 25% reported they had not consumed any alcohol in the past 30 days.*

This means that the song’s lyrics which make it seem like college students typically drink to the point of intense intoxication and/or passing out is not the reality- MOST never drink enough to get to this point.

Reality #2: 8 out of 10 students reported drinking alcohol on 5 or fewer days in the past 30 days.*

This means that the song’s lyrics which make it seem like college students drink heavily 2 or more times a week is not the reality of what MOST college students do.

Reality # 3: 8 out of 10 students reported that when (and if) they drank in the past 30 days, they typically took one or more measures to reduce their risk of becoming intoxicated- such as not drinking on an empty stomach, alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, limiting themselves to one or fewer drinks an hour, and keeping track of how many drinks they consumed.*

This means that the song’s depictions about competitive drinking are not reflective of what most college students are doing when (and if) they drink– and especially not at the frequency the song portrays.

Reality #4: 8 out of 10 students reported that in the past 30 days they had chosen not to drink alcohol at a party where it was present.*

This means that the song lyrics which make it seem like everyone at parties is really drunk is not accurate.

Reality # 5: 8 out of 10 reported they had not chugged alcohol in the past 30 days. 9 out of 10 had not funneled alcohol in past 30 days. Only 2 out of 10 reported playing table-top drinking games (i.e. beer-pong, beer-die, Beruit) on a weekly basis. About 50% do not regularly play these table drinking games: 25% of students reported never playing, and another 25% reported only playing a few times a year.*

This means that MOST college students are not engaging in competitive drinking when (and if) they use alcohol.

Reality #6: 8 out of 10 students reported that they had not consumed alcohol at a fraternity or sorority house in the past 30 days.*

This means that the song and video’s depiction of an Animal House -reminiscent frat party is not the setting MOST college students regularly drink alcohol in- if they drink at all.

Reality #7: 7 out of 10 students reported that the use of alcohol had not interfered with their academic performance.*

MOST college students don’t let drinking interfere with their efforts to work towards graduating.

Reality # 8: 8 out of 10 students reported they had not used marijuana in the past 30 days.*

This means that the lyrics which make it seem like most college students smoke pot regularly simply is not a reality.

Reality # 9: Most students – about 8 out of 10- reported they had not had sex in the past year with someone whom they were not previously in a relationship with.*

This means that the promiscuity referenced in the song is not behavior most college students typically engage in.

Reality # 10: Most students – over 9 out of 10- reported they had not gambled in the past 30 days.*

MOST college students don’t engage in poker despite it being shown as part of “college life” in the video.

* Based on preliminary analysis of a student survey conducted in 2008 which had over 6,000 Maine college students respond

For more information about college drinking, how to reduce it, or Maine’s Higher Education Alcohol Prevention Partnership, please e-mail HEAPP’s Director Becky Ireland at Rebecca.Ireland@maine.gov

Teen Star Fights Underage Drinking

Among all of the confusing messages that youth get through mass media, it’s nice to see a teen icon speaking out against underage drinking.

Miley Cyrus is a 16-year-old singer and star of the Disney show Hannah Montana (and daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus). The young entertainer, who performed on last night's American Idol results show, decries Hollywood producers' lack of attention to underage drinking.

Giving one obvious example, the 16-year-old Disney star tells Glamour magazine, "At one of my very first awards shows I ever did, there was a bottle of vodka in my gift bag." She goes on recalling, "No one cared that they were giving this to a 12-year-old."

We love it when celebrities use their powers for good!

Alcopops and parents

More than one half of adults believe that alcopops promote underage drinking. That’s the result of a recent study by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Alcopops are sweet, flavored alcoholic beverages that look and taste like soda, tea, punch, or lemonade. The labels on these drinks can be confusing, and even though they often have a higher alcohol content than beer, the product packaging may not even be clear that there is alcohol inside.

According to the survey, most adults support stricter laws regarding alcopops.

For more information about how alcohol is marketed to youth, visit the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth.

via Forbes Online

Binge drinking on the rise in France and England

The French government is in the process of raising the Minimum Legal Drinking Age from 16 to 18; this would bring French laws into line with most of the rest of Europe.

The bill is part of a larger piece of legislation addressing health, and would not only stop beer and wine sales to youth under 18 (they are already banned from purchasing spirits and liquor), but would also outlaw open bars—which are linked to binge drinking—and outlaw the overnight sales of alcohol at gas stations.

While total alcohol consumption has fallen almost 50% in France over the past fifty years , the amount that young people drink has been steadily increasing.

The number of alcohol-induced hospitalizations for minors under age 15 grew 50 percent between 2004 and 2007

Other changes could be on the way for European drinking habits as well: Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson would like to set a minimum price on alcohol sales in the UK . The proposed price would be £1 for restaurants and pubs (about $1.45) and 50p in stores (about $0.73). Prime Minister Gordon Brown is not enthusiastic about the plan, despite the fact that binge drinking in England is also on the rise.

CBS Drops Ban on Liquor Ads

Since 1996, network television stations have participated in a voluntary ban on liquor advertisements*. But on February 9, CBS effectively dropped its longstanding voluntary ban when CBS-owned stations and affiliates ran a prime-time promotion for Absolut vodka during the Grammy Awards show.

There was certainly a youth audience at this event, since performers at the 2009 Grammys included 16 year old Miley Cyrus, 18 year old Taylor Swift, and teen favorites the Jonas Brothers, who had just headlined the Disney Kids Inaugural Concert.

We are also concerned that, in their search for funding, network stations may continue to turn to liquor advertisements for income.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest:

• Children and teens already view a disproportionately large number of alcohol ads on broadcast media that glamorizes and encourages drinking. In 2007, 12-20 year-old youths were exposed to 38% more alcohol advertisements than they were 6 years earlier. On average, teens are exposed to 301 television ads for alcohol annually, up from an average of 216 in 2001.
  
  
• Young people’s awareness of alcohol directly translates into stronger intentions to drink as an adult. Studies as early as 1994 showed that alcohol advertising can predispose young people to drink.
  
  
• In 2007, the liquor industry spent over $118 million on television ads, almost a 4,000% increase since 1999.3 Underage drinking increased during that same time period.

Let the local and national CBS stations know about your concern by contacting them. Some talking points are here, and some more background on the issue here .


*Prior to 1996 the ban was legally mandated.

NBA allows liquor advertising

First, it was yet another beer-ad soaked football season. Now the NBA has voted to expand its advertising to hard liquor. For those of you who have tried to watch a sporting event on tv with the kids, you already know most commercials wouldn’t fly on most youth programming. Yet there you are on the couch with your impressionable teen watching the good times to be had with scantily clad women and lots and lots of beer.

What, no cigarette ads? Oh, right, they banned those years ago. How? Because lots and lots of people complained.

Here’s your chance to act against the onslaught of alcohol advertising bombarding our youth. Please pass this along.

http://takeaction.cspinet.org/campaign/nbaliquorads

In the News

There are two local news items we’d like to bring to your attention today.

The first is this week’s sentencing of former Deering High School coach Frank Watson and his wife Kimberly. The two were convicted on Monday of furnishing a place for minors to consume liquor, and Watson was additionally charged with furnishing liquor to minors. The sentences include jail time for Mr. Watson, community service for Mrs. Watson, and fines for them both.

This story has helped to highlight the important part that adults play in preventing underage drinking--particularly adults who serve as role models to youth. The story has also highlighted some deeply entrenched cultural values that are harming today’s youth—for example, that teen drinking is a harmless and inevitable “rite of passage.”

Thankfully, we know today that early drinking can have long term effects on youths’ brains, as well as increase the risk of alcohol dependency later in life). We also know that underage drinking is completely preventable.

Adult role modeling is an important part of the community prevention effort, and we encourage all adults to think about the effect that their implied consent can have on young people.


The second item was covered by WCSH6 yesterday: a new bill introduced to Congress to support the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age.

The Support 21 Act of 2009 (HR 1028) authorizes a new highly visible media campaign to educate the public about underage drinking laws and build support for their enforcement. It asks the National Academy of Sciences to provide a report to Congress about the influence of drinking alcohol on the development of the adolescent brain.

This seems especially timely in light of the recent news piece on 60 Minutes about the MLDA. You can track the status of the bill here or check back with us, as we’ll keep you posted on its status and let you know when offering support to your representative will be most helpful.