Underage Drinking
A Community Issue
The Oxford County Substance Abuse Task Force has identified underage drinking as an issue in Oxford County and has chosen to focus on parent education, youth access, and alternative activities.
Facts~
- Alcohol kills more youth than all other drugs combined.
- Only 1/3 of underage drinking deaths are the result of auto accidents. The other 2/3 are the result of alcohol poisoning, suicide, homicide, or unintentional injury.
- Research indicates that in countries where the drinking age has been lowered to 18, alcohol related fatalities increased by 10%.
- A person's brain does not stop developing until his or her early to mid 20's.
- Those who start drinking as teens are at a greater risk for developing alcoholism more quickly and at a younger age than those who do not.
- Underage drinking costs U.S. taxpayers approximately 6.9 billion annually.
What you can do~
- Set clear rules about alcohol use and enforce them.
- Monitor your teen's social activity. Wait up and check in!
- Talk to your teen's friends, and their parents about alcohol.
- Host alcohol-free parties. Check out party ideas from teens: http://www.21r.dreamhosters.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Party-ideas-from-youth.pdf
- Join the Oxford County Substance Abuse Task Force! CONTACT US for more information! Please visit out treatment resources page for more information about treatment options.