WHAT EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TEENAGE DRINKING

      It is important to remember that although alcoholic beverages are legal for adults, they are illegal for children and teenagers. The legal age at which a person may purchase alcohol in New York State is 21. This means you must be 21 years old to legally buy alcoholic beverages in bars, taverns, restaurants and clubs, as well as in liquor stores and supermarkets. It is also illegal:

• for a person 21 years or older to buy for or give alcoholic beverages to anyone under 21;
• to purchase alcohol with fraudulent proof of age;
• for those under 21 to possess alcohol with the intent to consume it.

      While parents may serve their own children alcohol in their home, they may not make that decision for other parents by serving alcoholic beverages at parties for underage children or teens.
Parents who ignore the law and supervise parties where alcohol is consumed by teens may be held liable if any youth leaving their home is injured in an accident or injures someone else.

back to top

A great many parents and teenagers are uninformed or misinformed on the subject of alcohol. This can lead to behavior that can be harmful to both children and parents. Below are listed some statements that illustrate common attitudes concerning alcohol and the explanation for why these statements are false.

"My child would never drink."

Don't bet on it. Teens face tremendous pressure from peers to drink - at parties, sporting events, proms, etc. This pressure is reinforced by advertisers who show drinking as a fun and harmless activity. Remember, eight out of ten high school students have tried alcohol.

"Drinking alcohol isn't so bad. At least they're not into 'drugs'."

Alcohol is a drug and it can be just as harmful to children as other drugs. As stated earlier, alcohol is a major factor in the three leading causes of death among young people - accidents, homicides and suicides. It has also been proven that alcohol is a "gateway drug" for teens. Once addicted to alcohol, many students move on to other drugs like marijuana and cocaine.

"Drinking is just a teenage rite of passage - it's a phase that will pass."

The younger persons are when they start drinking, the more likely they are to be heavier drinkers throughout their lives. For all age groups, persons who began drinking before age 17 have roughly two to five times the rates of heavy drinking as do their peers who began drinking after 21.

"If my child does drink, it's just to be social at parties - it's not as if he/she has a 'problem'."

     Drinking driver accidents are the number one killer of teenagers in the United States. The high percentage of teen accidents involving drugs or alcohol has led to the passage of correspondingly stringent state laws. In New York, a drug- or alcohol-related driving violation conviction results in a minimum one-year license revocation. A second violation by a driver under 21 means license revocation for one year or until the driver reaches age 21, whichever is longer.
     Even small amounts of alcohol can affect driving ability and create a dangerous situation. New York recently passed a "zero tolerance" law that makes young drivers stopped by police and found to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of between .02 and .07 (less than the .10 or above used to establish legal intoxication) subject to a DMV hearing on the non-criminal charge of "operating a motor vehicle after having consumed alcohol." A first offense carries a six-month license suspension and a fine of $125. A second offense results in that $125 fine and license revocation for a year or until the driver reaches age 21, whichever is longer.

     Contrary to popular belief, drinking coffee or taking cold showers will not sober a person up so they can drive. The only thing that can sober someone up is time. Coffee and cold showers may wake the person up, but that person will still be drunk.

1. Talk with your child about alcohol. Tell them the facts and challenge the myths. Let them know that underage drinking is against the law. You should also tell them that:
• If they participate in sports, that drinking messes up timing and coordination.
• Contrary to the glamorous image of alcohol projected by the media, drinking often causes people to lose control and embarrass themselves.
• Drinking even small amounts can affect driving ability. Drinking and driving can lead to injury, or even death.
2. Help your child feel good about him or herself. Children who feel positive about them- selves are more likely to have the self-respect to say "NO" when pressured to drink.
3. Be a good example. If your children see you drinking to relax each evening, or drinking and driving, they are more likely to see these things as acceptable. Conversely, homes in which parents do not drink, or drink very rarely, are less likely to have underage children that drink.
4. Learn to really listen to your child. If children are having problems at school, with friends, or anything else, listen and try to help them. Children with concerned and involved parents are less likely to turn to alcohol as a way to deal with problems.
5. Encourage healthy, creative activities. Involvement in activities, sports and academics are important in that they provide socialiZA1tion with other teens in an alcohol-free environment. They also boost self-esteem and are important in shaping values and goals.

Aside from the obvious clues that your child is drinking, such as drunken behavior or alcohol on the breath, there are other more subtle changes that may alert you to a problem:

• declining performance or attendance at school;
• abrupt changes in attitude or mood;
• associating with a new group of friends, especially those who use alcohol;
• secretive behavior;
• impaired relationships with family or friends.

If you suspect that your child is using alcohol, you should get in touch with someone who can help. School counselors, teachers, clergy, a certified alcoholism clinic program, a health professional, Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon Fam-ily Groups are all good sources for referral or help.

     Most parents become frightened at the thought of their children using drugs like cocaine, LSD or any of the other illicit substances that are considered "hard" drugs. While the use of these drugs is clear cause for alarm, parents often over-look the drug that is most widely used by teens and that can be just as harmful. That drug is ALCOHOL.
     Alcohol use among teenagers far exceeds that of other drugs and its effects can be just as dangerous. The three leading causes of death among young people - accidents, homicides and suicides - are all significantly related to alcohol use. Alcohol use among teens is also linked to delinquency, truancy, poor academic performance and teen pregnancy.
     The extent of the problem is alarming: a recent report by the State Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services found that 80% of students in grades 7-12 have used alcohol and that nearly half of these are regular drinkers.
     Statistics show that alcohol is the leading cause for teenagers to be in hospital emergency rooms and jails, as a result of episodes ranging from drownings and car crashes to rapes and assaults:

• Roughly 1/3 of the youths committing serious crimes consume alcohol just before the offense;
• Alcohol is believed to be a factor in most
• Sexual assaults and "date" rapes in which teens and college students are involved;
• More than 70% of teen suicides involved frequent use of alcohol or drugs;
• Nearly 40% of drownings and 75% of fatal accidents with all-terrain vehicles involved use of alcohol.

To print a printable PDF copy of this page, please click here

click icon to download free Acrobat Reader needed for this brochure

---

Back to Sheriff's Information Page