The first time I got drunk, I was a 15-year old cheerleader and it was the Fourth of July. Some older football players bought beer for my girlfriends and me, and I drank more than anyone else. I drank the next day too, even with a hangover. I should have known that my unusual tolerance and unlimited capacity to drink alcohol, was due to the fact that I was the child of an alcoholic. Instead of being repulsed by the taste or side effects of beer, I proceeded to drink every weekend following the Fourth of July. By the end of football season, I was blacking out or passing out every time I drank. From the time I entered college, until I dropped out after a humiliating incident during one night of binge drinking on campus, I drank every day, eventually adding marijuana and occasional drugs to the substances I used to keep myself from feeling the pain or facing the shame of my obvious-to-everyone-but me addiction.
According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, Fourth of July is one holiday each year when underage alcohol abuse doubles—as evidenced by emergency room visits across America:
Results from an average day in July 2008 found that there were 502 emergency room visits involving underage alcohol use across the U.S. However, during the 3-day Fourth of July weekend, the number of daily visits jumped to 938 – an increase of 87%.
I’m obviously not surprised by the Fourth of July underage drinking statistics, but I am surprised by how many kids are drinking...and why.
On June 29th, 2010, Newsweek reported that the prevention organization, Partnership for a Drug-Free America recently surveyed underage drinkers, highlighting changing trends. For the first time, the number of girls who drink is on the rise, while the number of boys who drink remains the same. Up 11% from last year, 59% of middle and high school girls are drinking. And the reason they drink is also different. While girls drink to escape or cope with pressure and problems, boys drink…to have fun.
The Center for Marketing Alcohol and Youth, reports that the average age of a student who drinks is now 13-years old while five thousand kids a day under the age of 16 will have their first drink! More importantly, CAMY believes that parents can change these trends just by talking to their kids!
Our research shows that kids who consistently learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are 50% less likely to use drugs and alcohol than those who do not; yet, only 30% of teens report learning a lot from their parents.
As someone who started her binge drinking at the age of 15 on the Fourth of July, I am compelled to challenge all parents and concerned adults to consider talking about these statistics with teenagers. You never how timely your "talk" might be and what little change or big result it can have in a student's life!
The Prevention for Drug-Free America’s comprehensive and interactive website is a great resource for both parents and students, including practical advice for preventing teenage drinking on holiday weekends, such as the Fourth of July, suggesting:
1. Talk with your child about alcohol facts, reasons not to drink, and ways to avoid drinking in difficult situations.
2. Encourage your teen to visit our Check Yourself website for information about drugs and alcohol.
3. Keep tabs on your young teen’s activities, and join other parents in making common policies about teen alcohol use.
4. Develop family rules about teen drinking and establish consequences.
5. Set a good example regarding your own alcohol use and your response to teen drinking.
6. Encourage your child to develop healthy friendships and fun alternatives to drinking.
7. Believe in your own power to help your child avoid alcohol use.
Be encouraged to make a difference,
Becky
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