Would it surprise you to learn that nine out of ten seniors in high school say it’s easy to get alcohol? Or that 80% of underage drinking happens at home or at a friend’s house. More than 5,000 teens lose their life to alcohol-related injuries every year. During prom and graduation weekends, teen deaths from crashes are higher than any other time of year.
SCARY STATISTICS:
The U.S. Surgeon General reports that by the age of 18, more than 70% of teens have had atleast one drink. Of adults who started drinking before age 15, around 40% say they have the signs of alcohol dependence. That rate is four times higher than for adults who didn’t drink until they were age 21.
Teens may act invincible, but when it comes to drugs and alcohol, they're actually more vulnerable than adults to harmful effects on the brain, researchers said at Neuroscience 2010, the Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego, California. According to Dr. Frances Jensen of Children’s Hospital Boston, brain development is actively transpiring even in the teen brain, and if you throw in a drug on top of that, you could change the trajectory of brain development.
PARENTS HAVE CLOUT– when parents talk with their children and set house rules on driving safety and alcohol use, the chance of their teen being hurt drops significantly. Parents may not realize it but research has shown that 65% of 10-18 year olds cite parents as the leading influence for their abstinence from alcohol and drug use.
Have Ongoing Conversations - When parents talk to teens about the dangers of illegal underage drinking and drug use, it makes a difference.
Set Road Rules – Teen drivers are four times more likely than older drivers to crash.
Stay Involved – When parents are part of their teen’s everyday life, less underage drinking and unsafe driving practices occur.
Talk to Other Parents – Teens often get alcohol at their friends’ homes. Let other parents know that you have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to underage drinking.
OHIO LAW – The State of Ohio has enacted a number of laws in order to deter underage drinking and the damage caused by underage drinking. Some of the most stringent laws involve civil and criminal liability on the part of social hosts. A social host can be defined as an individual or business who serves alcohol in a social setting.
Under Ohio law, a social host is barred from providing alcohol to people under the age of 21. The Ohio Revised Code § 4301.69(A) and (B) provide the following:
(A) [N]o person shall sell beer or intoxicating liquor to an underage person, shall buy beer or intoxicating liquor for an underage person, or shall furnish it to an underage person, unless given by a physician in the regular line of the physician’s practice or given for established religious purposes or unless the underage person is supervised by a parent, spouse who is not an underage person, or legal guardian. . .
(B) No person who is the owner or occupant of any public or private place shall knowingly allow any underage person to remain in or on the place while possessing or consuming beer or intoxicating liquor, unless the intoxicating liquor or beer is given to the person possessing or consuming it by that person’s parent, spouse who is not an underage person, or legal guardian and the parent, spouse who is not an underage person, or legal guardian is present at the time of the person’s possession or consumption of the beer or intoxicating liquor.
An owner of a public or private place is not liable for acts or omissions in violation of this division that are committed by a lessee of that place, unless the owner authorizes or acquiesces in the lessee’s acts or omissions.
Under Ohio law, a person who knowingly allows a person under the age of 21 to drink alcohol on their premises is guilty of a first degree misdemeanor. A first degree misdemeanor in Ohio is punishable by a $1,000 fine and/or up to six months in jail.
You have the power to keep your teen safe. Use it. Make time to talk before prom and graduation. It could be the most important conversation you have. Join the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board and Unison Behavioral Health Group as we encourage Lucas County teens to live to celebrate another day. Sign a parent contract and encourage your kids to sign a sober contract.
