Surgeon Generals Call To Action

NIAA Expert Offers Solutions To Underage Drinking

Patricia Powell, Ph.D., is Acting Chief of the Science Policy Branch at the National Institute on Alcohol Ause and Alcoholism (NIAAA). In an interview with CADCA Coalitions Online – Dr. Powell offers the following points to consider:

• Adolescents or “Adults Under Construction” are undergoing biological changes as well as social and contextual changes that prepare them to take on adult roles…That's why we're concerned about the effects of alcohol on brain development as well as its effects on other developmental changes. Using alcohol during this time can have a big impact on development of the skills and abilities needed in adulthood.
  
• …underage drinking is a serious public health and safety problem because of the number of young people who drink, the way they drink and the consequences of that drinking; that underage drinking is a developmental issue; and that we all have a role in preventing and reducing the problem.
  
• …we need to create opportunities for young people to participate in activities they find compelling that do not center around alcohol, such as academics, sports, the arts, or volunteering.
  
• You have to have the community on board if you're going to make a difference.

This article is part of CADCA's second editorial series featuring national experts from the NIAAA. To view the full interview visit: http://www.cadca.org/CoalitionsOnline/article.asp?id=1569

US Surgeon General Offers Tips to Help Communities Change Attitudes on Underage Drinking

Organize groups to change community thinking about underage alcohol use, get the word out about policies to prevent underage drinking and create friendly, alcohol-free gathering places for teens. Those are among the strategies that the Surgeon General recommends in his Guide to Action for Communities , a companion piece to his Call to Action to prevent and reduce underage drinking issued earlier this year.

The Surgeon General notes that when it comes to preventing underage youth from using alcohol, the community has an important role to play. They can help change the perceptions and attitudes toward youth alcohol use.

“Underage drinking is a serious problem, with roots deep in our culture. It is time to change that picture...It's time to tell children and teens that underage drinking is not okay. It will take a lot of work over time to change how people think about underage drinking. It's a long-term project for parents, schools, local groups, community leaders and other concerned adults and it's a project that should start when children are young and continue through the teen years,” he says in the Guide to Action for Communities.

Today, nearly 11 million youth, ages 12-20, are underage drinkers. In fact, more young people use alcohol than tobacco or illegal drugs. Most young people who start drinking before reaching 21 do so at age 13 or 14.

According to the Surgeon General's Guide, the greatest influence on a young person's decision to begin drinking is the environment they live in—their families, friends, school, the larger community and society as a whole. That's why, everyone should play a role in preventing underage drinking, the Guide says. The community's main role is to create an environment where young people can grow up and feel good about themselves without drinking, and to continually deliver the message that underage drinking is not okay.

Some specific steps communities can take include:

• Frame underage drinking as a community health and safety problem that everyone can solve together.


• Organize groups to change community thinking about underage drinking and support the message that drinking is not okay.


• Work with sponsors of community events to help them send the message that underage drinking is not allowed.


• Advocate for policies to prevent underage drinking, such as age checks for people buying alcohol, including on the Internet.


• Educate people about the latest research on underage drinking and teach young people about the dangers of drinking.


• Create programs, including volunteer work, where young people can grow, explore their options, succeed and feel good about themselves without alcohol.


• Work to change community attitudes about underage drinking and get the word out about underage drinking laws.

Click here to download the Surgeon General's Guide to Action for Communities .

To learn more about the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, see CADCA's Q&A with Dr. Patricia Powell , Acting Chief of the Science Policy Branch of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).