![National Research Experts are united in their endorsement of parents as the key influence in children’s lives 1 Wealth of research that proves parents have enormous power in preventing substance abuse 2 Parents grossly underestimate prevalence of underage drinking 3 Parents underestimate their own power in preventing underage drinking 4 Parental Monitoring shown to be most effective at reducing youth risk factors 5 Adolescents perceiving less parental monitoring were more likely to have a history of alcohol use and greater alcohol consumption in the past 30 days 6 Parents (1) NSPY, 2000, NICHD’s Health Study, Oregon Parenting Institute 1998 (2) Brook, Nomura, and Cohen 1989, Dishion, Reid and Patterson, 1988 (3) CESAR, August 2006 (4) PATS, Ogilvy Audits, 1998 (5) Westat Evaluation, Patterson and Dishion, 1989 (6): DiClemente, et al., Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Educations Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2001]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/dtlpowerpointforptas2-101024214816-phpapp01/85/Changing-Perceptions-About-Underage-Drinking-7-320.jpg)
Changing Perceptions About Underage Drinking
- 1. Changing Perceptions about Underage Drinking
- 2. Underage Drinking in Arizona 50 percent of Arizona 8 th graders already have sampled alcohol 1 21 percent of Arizona 10 th graders report coming to school drunk 1 28 percent of Arizona’s high school seniors say they’ve “binged” 1 Kids who start drinking before age 15 have a 40% greater likelihood of becoming alcoholics in their lifetime 2 Most Arizona high schoolers say their parents have not talked to them about the dangers of alcohol use. 3 (1) Arizona Youth Survey, 2006 (2) National Research Council “Reducing Underage Drinking, A Collective Responsibility,” 2003 (3) Governor’s Youth Commission “Lead our World’ surveys, 2006
- 3. Developmentally Harmful (1) Dr. Susan Tapert, University of California - San Diego (2) Dr. Daniel Amen, Amen Clinic
- 4. Our Objective Generate statewide awareness about the dangers of underage drinking and its prevalence in order to positively change behavior over time.
- 5. Key Messages It’s not a rite of passage; it’s illegal. Moderate underage drinking can cause permanent damage to the developing brain. Alcohol is the gateway drug to other substance use and addiction. Parents and adults have more influence than they think.
- 6. Target Audience Adults ages 25-49 who influence kids ages 12-17 Parents Adult influencers: Teachers, Coaches, Aunts/Uncles, older siblings, etc.
- 7. National Research Experts are united in their endorsement of parents as the key influence in children’s lives 1 Wealth of research that proves parents have enormous power in preventing substance abuse 2 Parents grossly underestimate prevalence of underage drinking 3 Parents underestimate their own power in preventing underage drinking 4 Parental Monitoring shown to be most effective at reducing youth risk factors 5 Adolescents perceiving less parental monitoring were more likely to have a history of alcohol use and greater alcohol consumption in the past 30 days 6 Parents (1) NSPY, 2000, NICHD’s Health Study, Oregon Parenting Institute 1998 (2) Brook, Nomura, and Cohen 1989, Dishion, Reid and Patterson, 1988 (3) CESAR, August 2006 (4) PATS, Ogilvy Audits, 1998 (5) Westat Evaluation, Patterson and Dishion, 1989 (6): DiClemente, et al., Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Educations Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2001]
- 8. Arizona Research Parents are more concerned about underage drinking than non-parents Parents do NOT condone supervised underage drinking Parents want education and assert they can better educate their children Parents raise concerns about being honest given their own experience Parents believe that teens will experiment and there is only so much they can do Parents Source: NAU Telephone Survey as cited in, “Underage Drinking in Arizona Data Findings and Analysis”, Pima Prevention Partnership, January 2007
- 9. Arizona Research Less concerned about youth drinking alcohol Viewed alcohol as less of a serious problem than other age groups More likely to condone <21’s drinking under supervision of parents or guardians More likely to condone <21’s drinking under the supervision of other adults More likely to condone <21’s drinking on special family occasions More likely to condone <21’s drinking as part of rites of passage Adult Influencers Source: NAU Telephone Survey as cited in, “Underage Drinking in Arizona Data Findings and Analysis”, Pima Prevention Partnership, January 2007
- 10. You Have the Influence Youth say parental disapproval is a key reason they choose not to drink before age 21.
- 11. You Have the Influence Educate yourself about the harms and law Make yourself clear Model responsible alcohol use Know your child’s world
- 12. Educate yourself about the harms and law The brain is still developing through the early 20s 67 percent of teens who drink before the age of 15 will go on to use illegal drugs Alcohol-related injuries are the leading cause of death among those under age 21 It’s illegal to serve alcohol in your home to those whom you “should know” are under age 21
- 13. Make yourself clear This is a critical time in your growth and I don’t want you drinking. Do you understand why?” “ I don’t want you making the wrong choice and then paying serious consequences at such a young age.”
- 14. Model responsible alcohol use Don’t get drunk in front of your kids Don’t allow other adults or family to get drunk in front of your kids Don’t ask kids to pour alcohol for you or others Keep alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in separate areas at your party Make sure adults who drink at your house have safe transportation home
- 15. Know your child’s world Know their friends’ parents and how to contact them Attend their after-school events Talk about the news and news that teens watch Eat dinner together and talk Teens who have infrequent family dinners (two or fewer per week) are twice as likely to smoke daily and get drunk monthly, compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (at least five per week)
- 19. Join us! Feb. 20 at Bentley Projects, Phoenix Mar. 1 at Desert Ridge Marketplace, Phoenix Mar. 28-30 at NAU Skydome, Flagstaff April at Prescott Gateway Mall, Prescott April at Pima County Fair, Tucson
- 20. Questions?
- 21. Thank you!
Editor's Notes
- #2: Welcome and thank you. My name is ________. I’m a _____ at ______ and a member of the “Draw the Line” campaign. I’m here today to talk to you about a public awareness campaign for parents that is currently underway. The campaign is called, “Draw the Line” and it’s brought to you by the Governor’s Office for Children Youth & Families and the Arizona Underage Drinking Prevention Committee. The purpose of our campaign is change adult perceptions and behaviors about Arizona’s #1 substance abuse problem: underage alcohol use. I’m going to provide some information today that you may not be aware of: about how prevalent underage drinking is in Arizona and what you can do to prevent it.
- #3: Let’s begin by looking at the latest statistics, most of which were released last year, about underage drinking in our state. [read stats] These are the results of two studies conducted in Arizona – the bi-annual Arizona Youth Survey, and the “Lead Our World” surveys conducted by the Governor’s Youth Commission. The fourth, and perhaps most alarming, statistic comes from a reputable organization you may be familiar with – the National Research Council.
- #4: Why are teens who start drinking more likely to become alcoholics? We’ve heard a lot about alcohol use by pregnant women and the dangers it can cause a developing fetus. What most of us don’t know is that the brain is still developing through the early 20’s (some researchers say through age 25). Alcohol use before maturation can: disrupt the healthy construction of neuropathways cause the brain to only release feelings of pleasure when its chemically induced rather than the result of a natural “high” such as acing a test, landing a new job, getting asked out on a date can stunt growth of other organs, including the reproductive system Here are two images that show the physical effects alcohol can have on a very important organ – our brains. [discuss images on slides]
- #5: So, to make more adults aware and to curb the attitudes of those who believe it’s OK for kids to drink under parental supervision, the Governor’s Office and a consortium of state-wide agencies launched Draw the Line last fall. Our goal is to generate statewide awareness about the prevalence of underage drinking, its harms, and your ability as an adult to positively influence kids you know. Anyone who has kids between the ages 12-17, or who interacts and mentors children in that age range (as a teacher, coach, neighbor, aunt, grandparent, etc) is our target.
- #6: What are we telling adults? [read slide]
- #7: As I briefly mentioned, our target audience is not simply parents but anyone who serves as a role model to kids in the 12-17 age range. That includes older siblings or cousins who may be of age to drink and don’t believe it’s harmful to buy a couple of six-packs for teens outside the liquor store.
- #8: A lot of substance abuse campaigns have been talking to kids, and fewer are talking to parents. National research shows: [read slide]
- #9: In our own state, we know from research that: [read slide]
- #10: Arizona research also tells us that adult influencers such as coaches or older siblings can help prevent underage alcohol use. However, compared to parents, they are: [read slide]
- #11: Perhaps most importantly, we want adults to remember that they have the power of influence on their side. Some of you probably feel that peer pressure is an uphill battle. But… [read stat] Your guidance, leadership and parenting does make a difference. And, you too, don’t want to fall victim to peer pressure from the moms and dads of your kids’ friends. Parents don’t want to be pressured by other parents to change their ethics or rules, so we’re working to spread new facts about the dangers of underage drinking that will help all adults feel comfortable and powerful addressing the problem.
- #12: Here’s how you can be influential: [read slide]
- #13: As we’ve mentioned, the brain is still developing through the early 20s and building important neuropathways. Even moderate alcohol use can disrupt this development and make individuals more susceptible to addictions. Alcohol is the gateway drug. [read second stat] Alcohol use in teens also is linked to higher rates of aggression, violence, and injury. Know Arizona’s law. Don’t serve alcohol to those in your home whom you “know or should know” are under age 21.
- #14: If you haven’t already, set rules about going out, curfew, avoiding substance abuse, and explicitly state them. Our campaign has gathered tips from social experts across the country and made them available online for you at www.DrawYourLine.com Here are a few ways to start that conversation: [read slide] See our website’s “tool kit” for other conversation openers to use before drinking starts or after it has occurred.
- #15: You also can be influential by modeling appropriate alcohol use around your children. Don’t binge drink and show us how real adults drink in moderation; not what we see on TV. [read slide]
- #16: Don’t let the mystique of being a teenager separate you from your child. Stay involved in their activities, their world, and on top of what matters to them. [read slide] These are just a few suggestions brought to you by the Arizona Underage Drinking Prevention Committee. Public health experts, education professionals, law enforcement, the Governor’s Youth Commission, and other concerned individuals want you to remember how you can prevent alcohol misuse. Today’s talk was just one part of our campaign. We have other tools available to help. [next slide]
- #17: I encourage all of you to go online to access the tools available at our campaign website, www.drawYOURline.com, where you can: learn more about the dangers of underage drinking read stories and advice from other parents submit a question to health and behavioral experts find tips and guidebooks to help you have conversations with your kids find links to resources should you need professional help, and learn about the legal consequences of providing alcohol to kids in Arizona.
- #18: On this page of the website, you can read parent’s stories and also submit your experience – good or bad – about addressing underage drinking.
- #19: Later this month, the campaign is launching a traveling exhibit where people statewide can learn more and chat with representatives about the topic. The goal of the exhibit it to take our face-to-face conversation to parents at malls, county fairs, and other large events that draw adults. The exhibit is a 20-foot-long curved wall, covered with facts about underage drinking and embedded with speakers that play sound bites of real parents&apos; stories as visitors approach the wall. It also features a seating area for two where parents can be interviewed or chat with an expert about this topic. On Feb. 20, we’ll unveil this exhibit at an arts event in downtown Phoenix. I encourage all of you to attend – you’re all invited – and to bring your kids, neighbors, and other parents you know too. Details about the event are inside your packets. It’s Feb. 20 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Bentley Projects Gallery downtown.
- #20: After our Feb. 20 event, the exhibit will travel to these locations.
- #21: In closing, we want to remind you that teens, like me, want to hear guidance from our parents. We aren’t looking for you to be our best friend. We want to know how you handled pressures like underage drinking as a kid and what behavior you expect from us. If you haven’t already, please go home and tell your kids what expectations you have of them. Help them understand what alcohol use can do to their bodies right now, why it’s important to wait at least until age 21 to start drinking, and what you’ll do to help us safely get out of a situation should other kids start drinking around us. Please take time to learn more about this topic online at www.drawYOURline.com, join us Feb. 20, and tell other parents to do the same. Thank you.