Infographic of the day

Figure 1. Percentages of Past Month Alcohol Use among Persons Aged 12 to 20, by State: 2006 to 2008

Canadian drinking

Often in our work to prevent underage drinking, we hear the argument that countries with a lower minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) have fewer problems with alcohol. And since Canada is our nearest neighbor—and the Canadian MLDA is 19 in most provinces (18 in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec)—we thought we’d share recent research results about teen drinking in Canada—and compare them with stats from Portland, Maine.

	Manitoba 2009	Portland 2008
% of 9th graders who drank in the past month	39%	32%
% of 12th graders who drank in the past month	69%	52%
% of 9th graders who binge drank recently	19% (within 30 days)	18% (within 2 weeks)
% of 12th graders who binge drank recently	51% (within 30 days)	31% (within 2 weeks)

These statistics demonstrate that a lower drinking age doesn’t improve alcohol-related problems for youth—in fact it increases the likelihood that younger teens will drink and drink more heavily.

The Manitoban government is addressing these issues “by boosting fines, cranking up public-awareness campaigns and convening a summit on the issue. [They] also vowed [March 4] to beef up enforcement of laws preventing the sale of tobacco to minors, while boosting fines for offending clerks and retailers”(source)—exactly the kind of environmental prevention efforts** that can help lower those rates.

**”Prevention aimed at the environment is based on the community systems perspective that views a community as a set of persons engaged in shared social, cultural, political, and economic processes.” [http://wch.uhs.wisc.edu/docs/SIG/fisher-EnvironmentalPreventionStrategies.pdf] Environmental prevention basically looks to change the context that youth live in to support their healthy choices.

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

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.

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.

60 Minutes on the MLDA

Sunday night's coverage on 60 Minutes (you can watch it here ) of the conversation about the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) was disappointing, to say the least. The piece unfortunately framed the discussion as a debate between John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College, and Chuck Hurley, Executive Director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). While the news program accurately represented McCardell's view as an unpopular and unlikely one, it also showed some disturbing support for his ideas.

Their biggest mistake was the repeated footage showing young people--some as young as 15--drinking, interacting with police and EMTs, and involved in alcohol-related car crashes. It the show's producers were trying to demonstrate consequences to watching youth, they were misguided: these tactics are proven to have no impact on youth drinking rates, and in some cases may actually increase them.

The arguments were presented lopsidedly as well, allowing McCardell and other supporters of an 18 MLDA, to repeatedly call the current law "unenforceable," an "abysmal failure," and linking the law to the extreme drinking that goes on at college.

While Hurley was allowed some rebuttal, arguing that changing the law would push the problem down to high school students, and demonstrating support by an influential list of specialists and officials, it seems that an opportunity was missed to talk about how alcohol affects the development of young adult brains, how early drinking leads to greater risk of alcoholism, and looking at our social culture that allows and encourages unhealthy drinking.

Click here for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's recommendation for changing the culture of drinking at US colleges and universities.

What did you think of the 60 Minutes piece? Post your thoughts in the comments below, or email them to 21reasons@mcd.org and we will continue the conversation online.

Alcohol use among teens decreasing

Monitoring the Future is an ongoing national study of the "behaviors, attitudes, and values" of American youth. The organization has been collecting data since 1975.

The 2008 Monitoring the Future study shows that alcohol use among teens has decreased 40% since it peaked in the 1990's.

According to the Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center,

The study indicates that the decline in use among 8th graders may well be linked to a decline in reported availability. The report stated that in 1996, 8th graders reported that 75 percent could find alcohol if they wanted to, but the 2008 numbers show just 64 percent could gain access to alcohol. The report further stated that declines are smaller for older students. (link)

The full study is available here.

If you'd like to keep these numbers going down, or are concerned about underage drinking, find out about your local prevention coalition, or contact 21 Reasons in Portland, ME.

Tip of the Month: October Mythbuster

• Did you know?
  MYTH: “It’s okay as long as they don’t drive. Most teen alcohol-related deaths are from drinking and driving.”
  REALITY: Only one-third of underage drinking deaths involve auto crashes. The remaining two-thirds involve alcohol poisoning, homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries such as burns, drowning and falls.


• Do you have a minute this month? Thank store clerks when you see them card someone who is buying alcohol.


• Want to learn more? Visit our website at http://www.21reasons.org/

Myths vs Reality of Underage Drinking

Myth:
Allowing teenage parties in your home keeps your teen and their friends safe by not allowing them to drive.
Reality:
Only one-third of underage drinking deaths involve auto crashes. The remaining two-thirds involve alcohol poisoning, homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries such as burns, drowning and falls. Taking away the car keys doesn't make underage drinking safe.

Myth:
In Europe, youth drink more responsibly than in the U.S.
Reality:
According to data collected from 15- and 16-year-olds in 35 European countries, European kids actually drink more often, drink more heavily and get drunk more often than American teens. Only in Turkey are teen drinking rates lower than in the U.S.

Myth:

If we changed the minimun drinking age back to 18 instead of 21, it would reduce problems with underage drinking.
Reality:
Researchers consider the 21 minimum drinking age one of the most successful public safety & public health policies in U.S. history. Since the minimum drinking age was changed to 21 in 1984, deaths from drinking and driving accidents have decreased by thousands, saving an estimated 20,000 lives.

In addition, youth are still developing both physically and mentally until around 25 years of age. Much is now known about the affects of alcohol on the developing brain, such as how alcohol can limit future potential and that youth are more susceptible to acohol abuse. Youth also think differently. We now know the portion of the brain that controls impulse and reasoning is one of the last sections of the brain to fully develop. No one knows this better than the auto insurance industry--just try to insure a driver under the age of 25!

So, why take this unneccessary risk?