Thinking of hosting a “safe” teen party where alcohol is served? Think again.
Adults who condone teen drinking or turn a blind eye risk being judged by society and by a legal system that harshly punishes adults who facilitate underage drinking.
In Vancouver, a woman was recently charged with failing to provide the necessities of life after a 16-year-old girl was found dead at an underage party the woman was “escorting.” In Manitoba, a couple is facing similar charges after a 15-year-old girl who was drinking at her house went outside and froze to death.
These incidents highlight concerns many parents have about teen drinking and their role in educating children about responsible use.
Proponents of supervised drinking say it teaches teens to drink responsibly in a safe environment. Critics say it provides parents with a false sense of security and does nothing to protect teens from the dangers associated with underage drinking, including alcohol poisoning, drunk driving, sexual assaults and unplanned pregnancies.
Psychologist Michael J. Bradley says that adults who don’t repeatedly tell children that drinking is dangerous are adults who silently tell them that drinking is okay.
“Contradicting the myth, children listen when adults speak respectfully,” Bradley writes on his blog.
Bradley, author of “Yes Your Teen is Crazy,” says that the adolescent brain is prone to the addictive effects of substances like alcohol. He says alcohol is associated with everything bad that happens to teens, including car accidents, failing grades, sexual assaults, arrests, unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and suicide.
“Do not provide alcoholic beverages to teens on prom night or at any other time,” she writes. “If I insult you with that suggestion, congratulations. You’re not among the 33 percent of parents who voluntarily provide alcohol to teens, or the 24 percent who drink with their teens.”
Statistics box
People who start drinking at a young age are more likely to develop alcoholism within 10 years of first starting to drink. A study by the National Institutes of Health found that 47% of people who started drinking before age 14 developed an alcohol dependency compared to 9% of people who started drinking at age 21 or older. .
· A national survey of students in grades 7-9 found that approximately two-thirds had already consumed alcohol. Another survey of Canadian youth ages 15-24 showed that 83% were current or past year drinkers. (2007 Canadian Center for Substance Abuse Report titled Substance Abuse in Canada: Youth in Focus)
· Nationwide, more than a third of students in grades 7-9 have been drunk on alcohol. That number increases to 40% for youth ages 15 to 19. (Substance Abuse in Canada: Youth in Focus)
Alcohol-related trauma is the leading preventable cause of death among Canadian youth. A survey by Smartrisk found that nearly 45% of all youth deaths were related to car accidents, and of those, nearly 40% were alcohol related. (Smartrisk Survey 2005)
· An Ontario study found that one in seven licensed students drinks and drives. Nearly 30% of those surveyed reported driving with a drunk driver. (2005 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey)