By Dawn Harris
It’s a tragedy that killed an average of fifty young people a week in 2002. It costs the U.S. 53 billion dollars a year, and is one of the most serious issues facing young people today. This tragedy - underage drinking - kills 6.5 times more young people than all other illicit drugs combined. Underage drinking kills young people every day, but it's a tragedy that can be avoided.
The underage drinking problem is widespread and dangerous. The legal drinking age is 21, but at least two-thirds of alcohol outlets sell to underage purchasers without even asking for identification. It is estimated that underage drinkers are responsible for 10 to 20 percent of alcohol consumption in the United States. The underage drinking problem is not only costing our nation and community money --- it's also costing lives. Nearly 30 percent of 15 to 20-year-old drivers killed in traffic accidents last year had been drinking, and there were 2,442 young people aged 15 to 20 who died in alcohol related crashes in 2002.
Dr. Scott Swartzwelder, neuropsychologist at Duke University, found that young people are affected by alcohol even if they aren't involved in a traffic accident. He studied the brain development of adolescent rats, finding that certain parts of the brain were most affected by alcohol consumption. Alcohol affected the part of the brain responsible for many types of learning and memory, and also the part that takes care of decision-making. Dr. Swartzwelder found that although adults' brains were affected by alcohol, adolescent rats were affected nearly twice as much.
Alcohol consumption even affects the brain permanently. Dr. Swartzwelder expanded his study to young people who had abused alcohol compared to those who hadn’t. The young people who had abused alcohol permanently lost up to 10 percent of their brain cells, having a tremendous impact on an adolescent's ability to learn.
San Juan County is not exempt from the underage drinking problem. In the year 2002, we had 43 alcohol-involved crashes with teen drivers, four of them fatal. That is why San Juan County youth is ready to take action regarding underage drinking in our community.
YIA is a partnership between youth and adults working together to stop underage drinking. YIA conducts Sticker Shock campaigns, Shoulder Tap Surveys, and Roll Call Briefings. They focus on changing retail outlets’ policies, parents’ attitudes, alcohol advertising, and the enforcement of laws.
To continue having an impact on the community, YIA San Juan County will be having a Student Activist Training Session on August 21 for students who want to work with YIA. National YIA presenters will provide fun, interactive training in projects that have been proven to reduce underage drinking. If you are a young person interested in having an impact on your community, be sure to come to the training session at the Farmington Public Library. For more information, call Dawn Harris at 566-2201, or e-mail mtacyap@infoway.org.
Dude, there is always plenty of stuff to do at the TEEN ZONE!
Contact the Teen Zone at 566-2201 or email at teenzone@infoway.org.