Recently, an article was published that described a study released from the National Institute of Drug Abuse detailing the record low of the incidence of underage drinking! As we continue to encourage our youth to abstain from underage drinking and make our parents aware of the social host ordinances and laws within the community, we also want to continue to bring awareness to the the successes we experience in the work of substance abuse prevention!
The article details that the prevalence of binge drinking has decreased by almost half within the last decade while peer disapproval of underage drinking among teens has increased!!! Additionally, the number of first-time alcohol users among teens and young adult also appear to be decreasing while the popularity of of nonalcoholic, alternative drinks (mocktails) has gradually increased!
Our prevention efforts will continue to educate youth about the harms of underage drinking including the how alcohol can hinder healthy brain and body development in teens, and possibly lead to addiction. We will also champion our parents/guardians to refrain from “being a party to teenage drinking” by not providing teens with access to it inside or outside of the home. Even with all of this, we want to still pay attention to what has been working in order to tailor our interventions to support the continuation of these trends!
PREVENTION is PROTECTION… and PREVENTION is working!
To read the article, click the link below:
American Underage Drinking Reaches ‘Unprecedented’ Record Low