Maine Voices: Firm rules can reduce alcohol problems related to teenage drinking
Research clearly shows that teenagers who drink are vulnerable to future alcohol problems.
By KELSIE JOHNSTON and JEN HODSDON
PORTLAND — Teens and alcohol use: It's a tough subject.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Kelsie Johnston, 22, works for 21 Reasons and lives in Yarmouth. Jen Hodsdon, a Portland resident, is the mother of a teenager and STP Project Coordinator for 21 Reasons.
Parents of adolescents know they have to balance their child's growing need for independence with the need to keep them safe.
And alcohol is an issue that parents of teens constantly deal with: Our culture is saturated with messages that imply underage alcohol use is cool, sexy, fun, and most of all, normal.
But it's not the norm. Despite popular misconception, fewer than half of all high school seniors in Portland -- and only about one-third of all high school students in the city -- have had alcohol in the past 30 days (2009 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey).
For those youth who do drink, it's a risky proposition, and taking away the keys doesn't change that.
Only one-third of teen alcohol-related deaths are from vehicle crashes; the other two-thirds are from injuries that can happen far away from an automobile: slips, falls, drownings, burns, poisonings, homicides and suicides, according to a 2004 analysis.
Still, parents want what's best for their kids, and it might seem like hosting and chaperoning teen drinking parties is the best way to prepare them for the drinking that can occur when young adults leave home.
Unfortunately, this is illegal and can actually backfire.
A 2009 study in Addictive Behaviors found that kids whose parents let them drink in late high school are likely to drink more heavily in college and experience more negative consequences related to drinking (such as assaults, property damage, unwanted sexual contact, academic failure, etc.).
Furthermore, a 2004 study in Journal of Adolescent Health found that when a parent or friend's parent provides alcohol for underage drinking parties, youth are far more likely to drink and to engage in binge drinking.
As for allowing teens to drink at home with their own parents (for example, a few sips with dinner) there is mixed evidence regarding whether this is beneficial or harmful. This is a decision that Maine law leaves to the discretion of each family, and rightly so.
What the research does clearly show is that kids are highly vulnerable to addiction and future alcohol problems if alcohol is introduced during the teenage years.
Here's why: Adolescent brains just aren't completely mature. The frontal lobe -- the part of the brain that controls planning, reasoning and impulse control -- continues significant development through the mid-20s, according to a 2006 article in Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
Adding alcohol to developing decision-making skills puts kids at higher risk for unintentional injuries, unwanted sexual contact, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infection, academic problems, depression, suicide and other substance abuse.
The best way for parents to keep kids from alcohol-related problems is by keeping firm expectations and loving communication.
Parents can also role-model healthy alcohol consumption, and talk about how media portrays alcohol use.
We suggest signing a family contract with your teen so that rules and consequences are completely clear -- a sample contract is available on our website at 21reasons.org/parents.php -- and engaging in frequent communication to maintain a trusting relationship.
But does it work? According to a statewide survey, it does. Maine students who report that their parents think that it is wrong for them to drink are one-third as likely to have had alcohol in the past 30 days (2008 Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey).
It can be hard for parents to talk to their kids about drinking. It's even harder to take an unpopular stance. But sometimes parents know that they have to do an unpopular thing for the safety of their kids.
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13 COMMENTS
Michael Waxman said...
A CONTRACT executed with a teen possessing an immature brain lacking impulse control is the solution. Now why didn't I think of that??? That will surely prevent a teen from engaging in impulsive, foolish behavior . . . because it worked for us, right? Then, if she drinks one night, has no plan and no friend to watch out for her and she walks off a pier in Portland and dies (this happened), you can enforce the contract and take the car back. Excellent. Our kids deserve better answers than this.
July 22, 2010 at 7:11 AM Report abuse
XXX said...
You want historical proof that introducing responsible drinking at an earlier age can work? Look to Europe.
July 22, 2010 at 7:56 AM Report abuse
Portland Parent said...
My son was in the class of 2008 and went to college. He did drink some in his senior year of HS but never so much as to have a hangover (we always made sure he slept at home). He knew enough to not drive after drinking and that we were willing to pick him up if he ever needed a ride. After his freshman year at college, he talked openly about how some of his friends (the "abstainers" in HS) were the ones who were getting totally smashed every weekend (and during the week) at college. My son attended some parties, true - but he chose to go to smaller ones with his friends rather than all-out bashes at the frats and elsewhere where the goal appears to be to get everyone as drunk as possible. As someone commented recently on another editorial, "Everyone at or over the age of 50 could legally drink at 18. Plenty of other countries have a young, or no drinking age at all. Are europeans and everyone over the age 50 somehow impaired because of this? No." I think that says it all.
July 22, 2010 at 9:06 AM Report abuse
Annonymous said...
I think the whole point of this article was to get the point across that communication is vitally important in order to create safety in our children's lives. Allowing them the opportunity to engage in making a physical OR verbal contract increases their chances of abiding by it as they will know they had their fair say. The contract can probably go from not allowing a child to drink at all, to allowing them to drink so long as they call, tell us where they are going, whatever we agree on. Also, just by a quick google search Europe's alcohol related deaths are much higher than the U.S.'s and I think that is a poor comparisson to be making. Regardless, this article is pointing out some options we have as parents and our kids deserve all the options we can give.
July 22, 2010 at 9:29 AM Report abuse
Annonymous 2 said...
"The best way for parents to keep kids from alcohol-related problems is by keeping firm expectations and loving communication." Excessive alcohol usage is solely a means to escape from reality. If your child participates in these acts frequently, especially before the age of 21, then you’ve failed as a parent. Get to know your offspring better, learn what it is that makes them feel the need to fill their bodies with a toxin every weekend. Be a good parent by setting firm expectations of alcohol usage while still being there to always offer a ride if your child does find themselves in a situation with impaired judgment. Lead by example with limited alcohol consumption. But, by all means do not teach your children that contracts and laws do not apply to them, or else you are endangering society as the next generation gains power.
July 22, 2010 at 10:01 AM Report abuse
Michael Waxman said...
@ Anonymous: I am dumbstruck by the insatiable appetite that you and so many others have for simple, black and white answers to complicated issues. If my kid drinks to excess then I have failed as a parent??? Do you even have kids? Did you skip over adolescence yourself? That is an ignorant statement. Most kids will drink before 21. That is a fact. It is foolish, presumptuous, and possibly lethal to believe that you have the power to prevent that.
July 22, 2010 at 10:39 AM Report abuse
Solutions are better than whining said...
I'm glad that there are advocates out there for setting limits and rules for our kids. What are we teaching them when we say that rules and laws don't apply to them? Where do they learn about consequences if not from parents? Kudos to the two young women who are standing up to the "norms" of their peer group by advocating for open communication and taking responsibility for your actions. We need more young role models like these two in our communities.
July 22, 2010 at 10:41 AM Report abuse
Michael Waxman said...
I agree that communication is key here. But you only want to hear one message from the teens -- "I won't drink." What if the lines of communication truly were open and you heard from them, "I'll be at a party tonight, and I will probably drink"? You would, apparently, punish them, deterring them from being open with you in the future. Next time, they won't be honest with you. They'll drink, and they may die as a result. Then, it will be hard to punish them for violating your contract and failing to communicate with you.
July 22, 2010 at 10:57 AM Report abuse
said...
maybe we should make it illegal for kids to drink?
July 22, 2010 at 12:03 PM Report abuse
Michael Waxman said...
I've got a better idea -- let's change the pervasive alcohol culture by making drinking illegal for everyone. Oh, wait, we tried that. Hm, ok, then let's just tell them "NO" really loudly, with lots of consequences! And then, let's hope that by some spontaneous miracle, when they turn 21 they know precisely how to make good decisions about alcohol use. Sounds like a responsible, reality based plan. :)
July 22, 2010 at 12:16 PM Report abuse
mrs peal said...
Adolescent brains just aren't completely mature. The frontal lobe -- the part of the brain that controls planning, reasoning and impulse control -- continues significant development through the mid-20s, according to a 2006 article in Psychological Science in the Public Interest. But...um...THEY ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE??????
July 22, 2010 at 1:33 PM Report abuse
Chew said...
We need limits and rules, carrots and sticks, to guide our way. However it is a fact that teenage drinking is nothing new and no amount of "contracts" will do diddly squat to curb teenage drinking except amongst those teenagers who will decide not to drink anyway. 18 was the drinking age when I was in high school and yes I drank, sometimes to excess... So did every one of the sixty kids who graduated with me. 59 of the sixty kids, including myself, also used the substance that was recently legalized for medical use. My parents generation and my grandparents generation also drank in high school. The current generation drinks in high school. High school drinking cannot be prevented but it can be guided by establishing a single legal age of 19 for becoming a full adult, by allowing parents to make choices, and opening lines of communication so teens can learn the responsibility that comes with privledge.
July 22, 2010 at 3:33 PM Report abuse
GuateGringo said...
I say change the drinking age back to 18 and have mandatory classes in school for all 17 year-olds to see videos on crashes and related accidents. If my child can vote for whom will be our next president, senator, house rep and he can enlist in the serivce and defend our country and possibily die - all at 18 - then he should be legally able to drink. Making things legal sometimes takes away the excitement of doing them behind the authority figures in one's lives....
July 23, 2010 at 8:04 AM Report abuse