Written By: Frances M. Harding, Director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

In adolescence, teens are met with new life experiences and greater freedom, but also more peer pressure. It’s during this time that teens may be more likely to experiment with alcohol.

It may not cross teens’ minds that underage drinking is both illegal and dangerous. According to SAMHSA’s 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 10 million people aged 12 to 20 reported consuming alcohol within the past month.¹ People aged 20 or younger accounted for almost 200,000 alcohol-related emergency room visits in 2009,² and tragically, about 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die from alcohol-related causes each year.³ Many of these hospitalizations and deaths can be prevented.

Last year, the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council announced the release of the National Prevention Strategy, a comprehensive plan to increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life. The National Prevention Strategy emphasizes that prevention should be woven into all aspects of our lives – including where and how we live, learn, work, and play – and that everyone has a role in creating a healthier nation. To support this mission, SAMHSA is kicking off the first-ever National Prevention Week, a nationwide observance that celebrates efforts to prevent substance abuse and promote mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being.

Each day during National Prevention Week, communities throughout the country will raise awareness about a specific issue that’s important to SAMHSA’s prevention efforts and the overall health and vibrancy of our communities. Today’s theme focuses on the simple but important steps our communities can take to prevent underage drinking. Your actions, both big and small – such as volunteering, talking to family and friends, or participating in community events – can have a meaningful impact on the health of our Nation’s youth.

One way to help prevent underage drinking is by talking with teens you know about the risks of drinking alcohol. The SAMHSA Web site on underage drinking prevention helps visitors create a personalized plan with facts and advice on ways to prevent underage drinking and its related problems. You can also learn more about Town Hall Meetings on underage drinking taking place around the country this year, and find and attend a Town Hall Meeting near you. Here are other ways you can make a difference:

• Boost youths’ confidence levels by helping them learn different ways to say “no,” and reminding them that real friends wouldn’t pressure them to drink.
• Keep track of children you’re responsible for at all times, and with whom they’re spending time. If they are at a friend’s house, make sure a responsible adult is nearby.
• Remind youth about the real risks of underage drinking, and make sure they know how you feel about underage drinking.
• If you choose to drink, set a good example by drinking responsibly, and make sure the youth in your life know that underage drinking is not acceptable.

You can find even more ways to take action at SAMHSA’s Too Smart to Start Web site, a resource that helps youth, families, educators, and communities prevent underage alcohol use. Prevention research and resources for a variety of audiences are also available at the StopAlcoholAbuse.Gov Web site.

During National Prevention Week and beyond, join us in creating environments that empower young people not to drink. Doing so can make all the difference to ensure they lead healthy, happy, and productive lives.

Visit the National Prevention Week Web site to learn more about this new health observance and SAMHSA-supported resources and programs focused on prevention. Take and share the “Prevention Pledge” on SAMHSA’s Facebook page to commit to a healthy lifestyle year-round and get others involved! If you are concerned that you or someone you know may be abusing alcohol, help is available at http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ or by calling 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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Sources:

1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2011). Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Vol. I. Summary of national findings, (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, NSDUH Series H 41, HHS Publication No. SMA 11 4658). Rockville, MD. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.htm.
2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2009: National Estimates of Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits, Table 15 – Trends in ED visits involving alcohol, 2004–2009. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 11-4659, DAWN Series D-35. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2012, from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2k11/DAWN/2k9DAWNED/HTML/DAWN2k9ED.htm#Tab15.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2004). Hingson and Kenkel 2004; Levy et al. 1999; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2003; Smith et al. 1999. As cited in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2009). Start Talking Before They Start Drinking. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/media/Underage_Brochure_508final.pdf