Alcohol and Binge Drinking

Although underage drinking has nationally declined since 2002, it is still a problem. According to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 26 percent of Americans between the ages of 12-20 report current alcohol consumption.

Tuscaloosa is no different.

According to the 2011 PRIDE survey, in Tuscaloosa, the monthly use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and other illicit drugs is higher than the state and national average.

Among 12th grade students in Tuscaloosa:

The monthly use of alcohol is higher than the national average.
Almost 38 percent have had 5 more glasses of alcohol within a few hours. This is also known as binge drinking.
40 percent use alcohol on a monthly basis.
In the past 30 days, nearly 21 percent have driven a car after drinking alcohol
In the past 30 days, 30 percent have ridden in a car with someone who has been drinking alcohol.
Almost 57 percent of the 12th grade students in Tuscaloosa use alcohol at their own home or a friend's home. Sixty-four percent of them say it is fairly easy to get.
Nearly 75 feel their friends believe that using alcohol is only a little wrong or not at all wrong

It's important to know...

As a parent, you are the most important influence on your child's life.

According to The Century Council, a lack of parental supervision is the key ingredient for most teens who drink.

Where Teens Drink

The following chart from The Century Council shows that teens drink in places where parents are
not present.

BINGE DRINKING

What it is
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks, and when women consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours.

Statistics about teens and binge drinking
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.

Binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to report alcohol-impaired driving than non-binge drinkers.
The proportion of current drinkers that binge is highest in the 18- to 20-year-old group (51%)
Most people who binge drink are not alcoholics or alcohol dependent

Health Risks of Alcohol and Binge Drinking

Immediate health risks
According to the CDC, excessive alcohol use has immediate effects that increase the risk of many harmful health conditions. These immediate effects are most often the result of binge drinking and include the following:

Unintentional injuries, including traffic injuries, falls, drownings, burns and unintentional firearm injuries.
Violence, including intimate partner violence and child maltreatment. About 35% of victims report that offenders are under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol use is also associated with 2 out of 3 incidents of intimate partner violence.
Risky sexual behaviors, including unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners and increased risk of sexual assault. These behaviors can result in unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.
Miscarriage and stillbirth among pregnant women, and a combination of physical and mental birth defects among children that last throughout life.
Alcohol poisoning, a medical emergency that results from high blood alcohol levels that suppress the central nervous system and can cause loss of consciousness, low blood pressure and body temperature, coma, respiratory depression, or death.

Long-term health risks
The CDC states that over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases, neurological impairments and social problems that include but are not limited to:

Neurological problems, including dementia, stroke and neuropathy.
Cardiovascular problems, including myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation and hypertension.
Psychiatric problems, including depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Social problems, including unemployment, lost productivity, and family problems.
Cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast. In general, the risk of cancer increases with increasing amounts of alcohol.
Liver diseases, including:

-Alcoholic hepatitis.
-Cirrhosis, which is among the 15 leading causes of all deaths in the United States.
-Among persons with Hepatitis C virus, worsening of liver function and interference with
medications used to treat this condition.

Other gastrointestinal problems, including pancreatitis and gastritis.

What you can do to keep your child alcohol-free

As children become "tweens" they begin to grow curious about alcohol. As they get older, their chance of exposure increases. That is why you want to begin talking to them early about alcohol and its risks.

Before you begin talking to your child about alcohol you need to learn the facts about it. Websites like this, as well as the resources listed on this page are the first step to educating yourself and you child.

After you have learned all you can, take the following steps to begin talking to your child about alcohol.

Start the discussion: Use a current newspaper article or recent event about alcohol as a way to raise the issue. The top conversation starters for parents and youth are tragedy in the news, something on TV or a movie, or someone else caught with alcohol.

Give your reaction to these examples and ask your child for his. Be sure not to criticize what he says. Stay away from sentences like "How could you think that way? What made you say something like that?" Your child needs to know that he can speak openly to you without regretting it. If he knows they can talk openly and even disagree with you about difficult issues he will be less likely to tune out your opinion.

Don't deliver a science report, but provide information about the dangers of alcohol in a way your child understands it. Let your child know the dangers to her body and mind, and answer her questions honestly.

Have the conversation more than once. Your child might accuse you of harping, or he might not appear to be listening, but explain to him that alcohol use among teens is scary to parents and your want to protect him. If your child is open to the talks, let him know how great that is and how mature he sounds.

Establish your values beyond a doubt. Kids can be very literal, so it is important that you clearly say "I am against alcohol for people under 21 because..." and then explain to your children why.

If you catch them using alcohol be sure to have consequences like grounding, suspended phone use or curfews. However, if your child comes to you with an admission, you don't want to squash that impulse. Punishing your child will make her never want to tell you anything again. Instead, let her know that what she did was wrong and that you strongly disapprove, but you are glad she told you. Also, let your child know the consequences for it happening again.

Be prepared for these questions

Why is alcohol so bad for me anyway?

Answer: It interferes with you judgement. You might make really dangerous decisions like going to places you shouldn't or getting into cars with other teens who are drinking, or you might do something really embarrassing like saying something to that boy you like or posting a picture to Facebook that you wouldn't want anyone to see. Also, your body and brain are growing and alcohol interferes with that. Drinking too much over a long period of time can damage many organs in your body.

Grown-ups (or you) drink alcohol, so why can't I?
Answer: First, it's against the law. Second, privileges like driving and voting come with age. With these privileges come responsibility like paying bills and working to have nice things for the family. The older you get the more responsibility you have. Alcohol requires a lot of responsibility because it can cause you to do things that are dangerous or embarrassing so only grown-ups can drink it.

Just because you drink doesn't mean you are drunk, right?
Answer: Right. Many factors affect whether you're drunk. These include weight, age, height, gender and how much water or food you had with it.

So why isn't alcohol illegal?
Answer: It is part of our culture. Adults are able to drink alcohol responsibly as part of a healthy lifestyle.