Last year in Washington, more than 500 youths under the age of 18 were arrested for driving under the influence. More than 3,500 were arrested for liquor law violations.
With graduation less than a month away and warmer days ahead, the temptation for young people to celebrate with a drink or two undoubtedly will grow stronger.
In a recent survey, 65 percent of teen drinkers reported they obtained alcohol from family members or friends. A recent study by The Century Council found that nearly one in five adults believes it is acceptable for parents to provide alcohol to teenagers in their own home.
In contrast, 96 percent of adult respondents said it is unacceptable for another parent or adult to provide alcohol to the respondents’ teenager without their permission. And survey respondents said that if they learned another parent or adult provided alcohol to the respondents’ teenager without their permission, they would consider taking some action against the other parent.
Over the past several years as members of the Washington Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking (RUaD), we have worked together to spread the message that parents need to parent and start talking to their kids about the dangers of underage drinking.
Last spring, we participated in town hall meetings on underage drinking in 55 communities across the state where more than 3,600 adults and teens focused on the consequences of underage alcohol use and developed ideas for taking action in their local communities. Most recently, we helped launch a new statewide public awareness campaign called “We Don’t Serve Teens” to remind adults that providing underage drinkers with alcohol is unsafe, illegal and irresponsible.
The campaign, developed by The Century Council, includes a 30-second television public service announcement, lapel pins, register signs and ceiling danglers, all in both English and Spanish, to be distributed at the point of sale.
While parents and friends are the most powerful influence on underage drinkers, alcohol industry marketing plays a role as well. So we were pleased to see Beam Global take the lead in reducing the level of alcohol advertising that reaches teen consumers beyond the industry standard established by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).
Starting in 2008, Beam Globe’s advertising and marketing materials will be placed only in media where at least 75 percent of the audience is of legal drinking age. The company has also vowed not to introduce or market any flavored malt beverage and to restrict promotional activities around spring break.
The DISCUS standard for advertising and marketing allows companies to place promotional materials where up to 30 percent of the audience is below the age of 21. Since adopting this standard in 2003, DISCUS has hosted a Media Buying Summit to enhance compliance and it publishes semi-annual reports on complaints against alcohol companies accused of violating this and other advertising standards.
As an example, advertisements for both Hennessy and Belevedere in the June 2004 edition of Vibe magazine violated the standard because the magazine’s readership did not meet the 70 percent standard. Similarly, Patron Tequila pulled advertising from ESPN: The Magazine when it learned the readership demographic was below the standard.
This self-policing is promising, but we can do better. Alcohol remains the No. 1 drug for children and teens. One in every four 12th-graders and one in every 10 eighth-graders report consuming five or more drinks in a row in the last two weeks – risking alcohol poisoning, traffic crashes, school failure and alcoholism.
Beer and other alcoholic drinks are implicated in the top three causes of teen deaths: accidents (including traffic fatalities and drowning), homicide and suicide. Alcohol kills more kids than all other drugs combined.
If we really care about our youth, we will start talking now and keep talking about this important issue, working with adults, teens and the industry to reduce underage drinking.
Rob McKenna is Washington’s attorney general and a member of the Washington Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking. Roger Hoen is the senior board bember of the Washington State Liquor Control Board and co-chairman of the coalition.
Learn more
For ideas on how to talk to youngsters about drinking, visit www.starttalkingnow.org.
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