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PHOENIX — Alarmed at the high number of teen drinkers, state officials launched a new effort Monday with a different focus: convince adults not to provide alcohol to those under 21 or even to condone it with their silence.
The “Draw the Line” campaign comes a year after a statewide survey showed that nearly half of all high school seniors reported having a drink in the last month. Three quarters said they had imbibed at some point.
It actually starts much earlier: A quarter of all eighth graders said they had a drink in the past 30 days.
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Gov. Janet Napolitano said she knows where at least some of the blame lies.
“Nearly half of Arizona adults believe it is OK for youth to drink alcohol under parental or adult supervision,” she said.
The governor said there already are state-funded programs aimed at convincing teens not to drink. And those, she said, will continue.
Napolitano said, though, the numbers prove more is needed. This campaign, she said, will educate adults about not just the health also but the legal implications of allowing — or even just tolerating — alcohol use by those under 21.
“Underage drinking is not a rite of passage,” she said. “It is not safe for children. It is against the law.”
But a survey conducted last year for the Arizona Parents Commission on Drug Education and Prevention found a significant minority of Arizonans age 18 and older disagree.
A third of those questioned said underage drinking was acceptable under parental supervision. And nearly as many said there is nothing wrong with providing alcohol to someone younger than 21 at a special occasion or a rite of passage.
Much of the $900,000 campaign is designed to get parents to talk with their children.
“Research suggests that parental disapproval — parents not agreeing with it — is a key reason why some youths choose not to drink until they’re 21,” said Andres Cano, a student at City High School in Tucson. But Cano, who also is a member of the Governor’s Youth Commission, said most high schoolers report their parents never discuss the subject with them.
Napolitano said the message goes beyond telling parents to talk to their teens about drinking.
“Don’t provide the ‘kegger’ in the back yard at graduation or other times,” she said.
“Don’t think that just because you’re supervising the drinking, the drinking is OK,” Napolitano continued. “It quickly migrates into unsupervised drinking and unsupervised drinking can resolve into pattern drinking and behavior that really is an opening portal for other kinds of substance abuse problems.”
State law generally makes it illegal to give or sell alcohol to anyone younger than 21. Violators are subject to up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
But adults can provide alcohol to members of their immediate family. There also are exceptions when alcohol is used for religious purposes or in medicine.
One element of the campaign provides a link where parents can send prewritten text messages to their children. Options include “Hope UR having fun. Stay smart. Luv u,” “Remember Good Judgment” and “If u need me — call me.”
Survey results
Percent of 8th graders who have used alcohol:
Area past 30 days ever
Statewide 24.1 50.9
Apache 17.9 40.8
Cochise 21.0 48.2
Coconino 26.7 50.9
Gila 34.3 63.7
Graham 25.7 49.2
Greenlee 37.6 65.5
La Paz 28.5 53.0
Maricopa 23.0 49.1
Mohave 34.6 64.1
Navajo 26.6 49.7
Pima 24.2 50.7
Pinal 30.3 57.9
Santa Cruz 28.0 53.3
Yavapai 24.2 51.8
Yuma 24.5 52.9
Percent of 12 graders who have used alcohol:
Area past 30 days ever
Statewide 47.0 74.5
Apache 43.2 71.5
Cochise 42.9 72.5
Coconino 48.1 79.9
Gila 42.1 78.2
Graham 40.2 64.6
Greenlee 55.4 86.6
La Paz 42.6 69.4
Maricopa 46 72.8
Mohave 50.7 78.3
Navajo 30.4 61.5
Pima 49.8 78.5
Pinal 51.1 78.8
Santa Cruz 61.2 85.1
Yavapai 55.0 80.6
Yuma 43.1 71.9
Underage drinking in different circumstances
Situation Acceptable Not Depends Don’t know
Parental supervision 34 52 13 1
Adult supervision 16 70 13 1
Special occasion 30 50 20 1
Rite of passage 30 53 12 5
Source: 2006 Arizona Youth Survey Arizona Criminal Justice Commission
Amanda wrote on Nov 1, 2007 7:44 PM: