The holiday season is a time for celebration with family and friends.  Unfortunately, it is also a time when school vacations and holiday parties make for a tragic mix for many young people who drink alcohol.

According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 10.8 million Americans between the ages of 12-20 report current alcohol consumption. How did they get a hold of that alcohol? Research commissioned by The Century Council found that 65 percent of youth who drink say they get their alcohol from family and friends - including their parents, their friends’ parents, older family members or older friends - with or without permission. 

When a vehicle is added to the equation, the results are tragic.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during the 2006 winter holiday season, alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth under 21 accounted for nearly 40 percent of all traffic fatalities nationwide.  In the face of these troubling statistics, it is clear that we must re-energize our efforts to work together, at all levels of government and in our communities, to stop underage drinking.

In recent years, the federal government has made a significant commitment to ending this public health crisis.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in conjunction with the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking sponsored more than 1200 town halls last year in communities all over the country to discuss the crisis of underage drinking.  In December 2006, Congress passed into law the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP Act) with the unprecedented support of public health and industry groups. The STOP Act, which was the first comprehensive national legislation created to fight underage drinking, makes permanent an Ad Council media campaign directed at parents to curb underage drinking, and establishes grants for colleges and communities to address the problem at the local level.

Following the historic signing of the STOP Act, the Surgeon General kicked off 2007 by issuing a Call to Action on Underage Drinking, placing a heightened national focus on the problem. The Call to Action includes recommendations for government and school officials, parents, other adults and young people as part of a concerted effort to prevent and reduce underage alcohol consumption in our country.  

At the local level, we recently launched the “We Don’t Serve Teens” campaign in Los Angeles County to enlist the help of adults in curbing underage drinking. “We Don’t Serve Teens” was developed by The Federal Trade Commission and The Century Council to inform adults that providing underage drinkers with alcohol is unsafe, illegal, and irresponsible. With the help of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, we have delivered educational materials in English and Spanish to more than 6,000 retail establishments in Los Angeles County. We will continue our work together in 2008 with school-based programs focusing on underage drinking prevention.

Underage drinking is not inevitable. When parents talk, their children really do listen.
Numerous studies show that parents are the leading influence on their child’s decision to drink, or not to drink alcohol. The key here, as with all difficult choices facing young people today, is for parents to begin and continue a dialogue with their children before they are faced with the decision to drink alcohol. There is no better time to talk to your child about the dangers of underage drinking than the holiday season. We offer the following 10 tips for parents to facilitate these important family discussions:

1. Be a good role model;
2. Clearly state your disapproval of underage drinking;
3. Reinforce that underage drinking is against the law;
4. Take advantage of daily opportunities to let your children know they can talk to you about anything;
5. Use a current newspaper article or recent event about alcohol as a way of raising the issue;
6. Give your reaction to these examples. Ask your children for theirs. Listen carefully and don't criticize their answers;
7. Help your children say “no” to alcohol and give them information and support needed to avoid it;
8. Supervise your children;
9. Recognize problem behavior and seek help when necessary; and
10. Make it a discussion, not an argument. Learn from each other.

During this holiday season and throughout the year, we want to remind parents of the dangers of underage drinking and arm them with the knowledge that they can have an influential role in stopping it. For more information on underage drinking and ways to talk about the issue with your children, please visit The Century Council’s web site at www.centurycouncil.org.

(A leading congressional advocate in the fight against underage drinking, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) won a major victory in 2006 with the passage into law of her bill called “The Sober Truth On Preventing Underage Drinking Act.”  The STOP Act is the first comprehensive national legislation to address this public health crisis.  The STOP Act formally establishes an interagency committee to coordinate all federal underage drinking programs and research initiatives; makes permanent an Ad Council national media campaign directed at parents; provides grants to colleges and local communities to combat the problem; and authorizes federal funding for crucial research on its health effects on young people.  For her efforts, the congresswoman has been nationally honored by The Century Council, MADD, the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and Students Against Destructive Decisions. The congresswoman is serving in her 8th term in Congress and sits on the House Appropriations Committee.  The congresswoman’s 34th Congressional District in Los Angeles includes: Bell; Bellflower; Bell Gardens; Boyle Heights; Commerce; Cudahy; Downey; Downtown Los Angeles; Huntington Park; Little Tokyo; Maywood; South Park; Vernon; Walnut Park; and portions of Chinatown, East Los Angeles, Florence, Pico Union, and Westlake.)

(The Honorable Susan Molinari is a former Member of Congress and Chairman of The Century Council, a not-for-profit organization funded by Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Future Brands LLC; Hood River Distillers, Inc; and Sidney Frank Importing Co. Inc, to fight drunk driving and underage drinking.)