MORE TEENS JUST SAYING “NO”

Is it possible? Can there really be sensible teenagers? It would seem so. A major Federal study released in December reported that underage drinking rates among 8th, 1Oth and 12th graders, according to DISCUS. The 2O1O Monitoring the Future Survey, jointly released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan, noted as a highlight of that survey that “[f]or 12th graders 2O1O marks the lowest level of alcohol use since the study’s inception in 1975. For 8th and 1Oth graders it marks the lowest point since these grades were first included in the study in 1991. Since 1991, thirty-day prevalence rates have fallen by about half among 8th graders, by close to one third among 1Oth graders, and by nearly one quarter among 12th graders.” According to the study, the proportion of students reporting binge drinking at least once in the two weeks prior to the survey also fell in all three grades in 2O1O. “This is excellent news but much more needs to be done and we must not become complacent as a society. Parents, industry and the entire community working together can continue to make a difference,” said Dr. Peter Cressy, President of the Distilled Spirits Council and a former college president. “This is also important news because it means that society is on the right track to solving this serious problem. Early and persistent education supported by tough laws and strong enforcement are working,” Cressy added. Cressy noted that the spirits industry has been a part of this progress through of The Century Council and other educational programs, which provide parents with tools to talk to their children about alcohol.