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| FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| May
10, 2002 |
| Contact:
Ryan Hurd (619) 474-8844,ext. 29 |
| (619)
253-8295 mobile |
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|
TEENS,
PARENTS PINPOINT |
|
ALCOHOL
PROBLEMS |
|
Youth
Cite Easy Access; Parents Worry About
High-Risk College Drinking |
|
| In
a survey of more than 700 high school students
living in San Diego County, 81% agreed that
"alcohol is easy to get," with
32% indicating it's "okay to use in
general." A separate countywide survey of
more than 500 parents showed that 85% are
either "very concerned" or
"somewhat" concerned about binge
drinking in colleges and universities, and 96%
agree that binge drinking negatively impacts
the quality of life around college
neighborhoods. |
| Both
surveys were conducted by volunteer workgroups
affiliated with the San Diego County Substance
Abuse Summit, a collaborative effort to reduce
the overall toll of substance abuse in the
county. The youth will use their findings t
highlight the important role of adults in
preventing underage access to alcohol. The
parents are seeking community initiatives to
reduce high-risk drinking among students
headed for or currently enrolled in college. |
| In
cases of teen death, alcohol is indicated as
one of the four leading causes, and of those
who drink before turning age 21, the
likelihood of having anlcohol0related problem
doubles. Among college students, alcohol is
cited as a top safety risk, implicated in
1,400 deaths, 500,000 injuries and 70,000
cases of sexual assault nationwide each year. |
| "The
statistics are alarming," said Judi
Strang, Co-Chair of the Summit Parent
Workgroup. "Today's college student is
sent mixed messages about using and abusing
alcohol. The Substance Abuse Summit will allow
collaboration to not only identify the problem
of binge drinking on our college campuses, but
also focus on real solutions." |
| Ninety-eight
percent of parents in the survey agreed that
colleges and universities aren't doing enough
to address the issue. But parents also said
the alcohol industry encourages college
students to dink through advertising that
glamorize alcohol use, spring break promotions
and sponsorship of college-related events. The
parents who were surveyed broadly support the
policy initiatives established in the San
Diego County President's Forum on Underage and
Binge Drinking, which the Summit is
highlighting this year. |
| The
youth survey's finding that alcohol is readily
accessible was confirmed during a
"shoulder tap" operation conducted
on Friday, May 3, in which several members of
the Youth Workgroup teamed yup with the San
Diego Police Department. Underage decoys
asked 34 adults at nine different retail
outlets to purchase alcohol for them. Five
adults were arrested for furnishing alcohol to
minors. |
| "The
real problem of underage drinking isn't 'bad
teenagers,'" said Julie, a youth decoy
who volunteered to participate in the
operation. "When teens drink alcohol,
they're almost always getting it from an adult
who's breaking the law." |
| More
than 900 people, including 250 youth, are
scheduled to participate in the Substance
Abuse Summit VII conference May 13-14 at the
Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center.
The conference, featuring dozens of workshops
and informational exhibits, will begin with an
interactive community forum, in which
conference attendees will discuss the roles of
youth, parents, community groups and political
leaders in reducing alcohol, tobacco and other
drug problems throughout the region. |
| For
more information on the Summit, visit www.substanceabusesumit.com.
Journalists covering issues related to alcohol
and drugs will find a range of resources —
including fact sheets, contact information,
and recent reports — at the Substance Abuse
Newsroom: www.alcoholdrugnewsrroom.org |
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