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Alcohol and Costs to Society
Drinking and Driving
Alcohol and Sex
Community Readiness Survey
Approximately 600 people in the School District of Marion received a survey on their beliefs and opinions about drugs and alcohol in the community. Nearly 250 of you responded, providing the Marion Area Coalition for Healthy Communities and the Marion Area Family Resource Center with valuable information.
For instance, 84% of those who responded indicated that prevention programs are a good investment because they save money and lives. This supports what the Coalition has already been doing, including working with the school to put more prevention curriculum in place in K-12. Two-thirds of those who responded indicated that public service announcements are a good way to change attitudes about alcohol and tobacco use. The Coalition has not placed much effort around public service announcements, and this information could mean that more effort should be placed in this area.
Here are some other key findings:
- Approximately three-fourths of respondents support law enforcement spending more time enforcing laws prohibiting sales of tobacco to teens and enforcing minimum drinking age laws;
- 5% of respondents indicated they support situations in which parents find out their teen drank alcohol and tell the teen to use alcohol carefully and not let it interfere with schoolwork;
- 30% indicated they often or very often see adults drunk in public;
- Nearly 50% believed that it is not at all or only a little difficult to get an older person to buy alcohol for them;
- Nearly 20% are quite or very willing to volunteer time to a prevention program;
- 29% indicated that the community is not interested in changing, no matter what the issue is.
In the upcoming issues of The Marion Advertiser, the Coalition will be presenting this and other information in small articles. Please watch for the articles and let us know what you think. For more information, contact Trinitie Wilke at 754-2491 or trinw@frontiernet.net.
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Alcohol, Drugs, Prevention and the Marion Area
Results of a Summer 2004 survey of many Marion area residents included:
- 65% agree or strongly agree that the community has a responsibility to set up prevention programs to help people avoid problems;
- 43% indicated that it is never okay for parents to offer alcohol in their home;
- 74% of Marion area residents indicated that alcohol use by teens is a moderate or serious problem;
- 73% strongly or somewhat favor law enforcement spending more time enforcing the minimum drinking age.
Survey Results Show Community Interest in Prevention
This is the first in a series of articles.
Approximately 600 people in the School District of Marion received a survey in Summer 2004 on their beliefs and opinions about drugs and alcohol in the community. Nearly 250 of you responded, providing the Marion Area Coalition for Healthy Communities and the Marion Area Family Resource Center with valuable information.
For instance, 84% of those who responded indicated that prevention programs are a good investment because they save money and lives. This supports what the Coalition has already been doing, including working with the school to put more prevention curriculum in place in K-12. Two-thirds of those who responded indicated that public service announcements are a good way to change attitudes about alcohol and tobacco use. The Coalition has not placed much effort around public service announcements, and this information could mean that more effort should be placed in this area.
Here are some other key findings:
- Approximately three-fourths of respondents support law enforcement spending more time enforcing laws prohibiting sales of tobacco to teens and enforcing minimum drinking age laws;
- 5% of respondents indicated they support situations in which parents find out their teen drank alcohol and tell the teen to use alcohol carefully land not let it interfere with schoolwork;
- 30% indicated they often or very often see adults drunk in public;
- Nearly 50% believed that it is not at all or only a little difficult to get an older person to buy alcohol for them;
- Nearly 20% are quite or very willing to volunteer time to a prevention program;
- 29% indicated that the community is not interested in changing, no matter what the issue is.
In the upcoming issues of The Marion Advertiser, the Coalition will be presenting this and other information in short articles. Please watch for the articles and let us know what you think. For more information, contact Trinitie Wilke at 754-2491 or trinw@frontiernet.net.
In the upcoming issues of The Marion Advertiser, the Coalition will be presenting this and other information in small articles. Please watch for the articles and let us know what you think. For more information, contact Trinitie Wilke at 754-2491 or trinw@frontiernet.net.
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Alcohol and Teens
- 74% of Marion area residents indicated that alcohol use by teens is a moderate or serious problem (per their response to a random survey in Summer 2004).
- In a Marion school survey conducted in 2002, 1 of every 5
sixth graders and 1 of every 2 eleventh graders drank alcohol
in the previous 30 days.
Alcohol and Teens
One of the norms in Iraq right now is soldiers helping Iraqi people. One of the other norms in Iraq right now is random bombings that injure and kill people. Sometimes a norm is a positive thing, and sometimes it's not.
In Wisconsin, drinking in the teenage years is a norm. It is also illegal, just like shoplifting. Wisconsin is one of the few states in the country that allows minors to be in a bar with their parents. It is important that communities think about these norms, and the results that the norms have.
Teenage drinking is a problem because the effects of alcohol on a teenage brain are different than the effects on an adult brain. For instance, people who start drinking at age 14 are 4 times more likely to become alcohol-dependent than if they wait until age 21 (http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drug_info_alcohol.asp). In addition, when young people engage in early drinking, they are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior (putting them at risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS and/or getting pregnant). These are dangerous and potentially deadly consequences that would not help create a healthy Marion area. We need to work together to change this norm.
What can YOU do about this issue: Listen to local talk about "getting drunk"and "partying"– decide if that is a message you want young people to hear. Become informed about school policies around alcohol use (eg, co-curricular code). Don't allow your child to attend parties that involve alcohol. Contact other parents or police if you suspect there is a youth party with alcohol. Get involved in the Marion Area Coalition for Healthy Communities to make the Marion area as safe and healthy as possible. For more information, contact the Marion Area Family Resource Center in the lower level of the library or at 715.754.2491.
We need people working together for a safer and healthier Marion Area.
In the upcoming issues of The Marion Advertiser, the Coalition will be presenting this and other information in small articles. Please watch for the articles and let us know what you think. For more information, contact Trinitie Wilke at 754-2491 or trinw@frontiernet.net.
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Heavy Drinking
- 30% of Marion area residents indicated that they often or very often see adults drink in public (per their response to a random survey in Summer 2004).
- Wisconsin is a national leader in binge drinking, ranking number 2 out of 50 in having the highest binge drinking rates.
Heavy Drinking
"Do as I say, not as I do"is an oft-noted comment from parents. But the fact is, young people do as adults do. This means that if adults are drinking, or drinking heavily, young people will do the same. It is important for adults to behave as they want the children of the community to behave. Drinking alcohol under the age of 21 is illegal, just like shoplifting.
When adults are visible and drunk, it sets a community norm that says, "it's okay to drink and get drunk." The next generation hears this message and the cycle of heavy drinking continues. What else is problematic about a community norm that says "it's okay to get drunk"? Research shows that risk factors for youth substance abuse include norms, values and attitudes that support drug and alcohol use. When young people engage in early drinking, they are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior (putting them at risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS and/or getting pregnant). People who start drinking at age 14 are also 4 times more likely to become alcohol-dependent than if they wait until age 21 (http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drug_info_alcohol.asp). These are dangerous and potentially deadly consequences that would not help create a healthy Marion area.
These ideas are summarized in a published statement by H. Watson, a concerned parent: "The only way to keep your children from going astray is for them to have a role model they can respect" (http://www.theantidrug.com/advice/advice_featured_articles.asp on May 1, 2005).
What can YOU do about this issue: With everything you do, pretend that a young person is watching you – would you still do what you are doing? Choose 3 or 4 values you want to model every day, and do them. Get involved in the Marion Area Coalition for Healthy Communities to make the Marion area as safe and healthy as possible. For more information, contact the Marion Area Family Resource Center in the lower level of the library or at 715.754.2491.
We need people working together for a safer and healthier Marion Area.
In the upcoming issues of The Marion Advertiser, the Coalition will be presenting this and other information in small articles. Please watch for the articles and let us know what you think. For more information, contact Trinitie Wilke at 754-2491 or trinw@frontiernet.net.
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Alcohol and Costs
to Society
- 17% of Marion area residents believe that drug and alcohol
use contributes to violent crime quite a bit
or a great deal and 35% believe the same about drug and alcohol
effects on crashes or injuries (per
their response to a random survey in Summer 2004).
- The Marion
Police Department estimates that approximately 1 in 3 calls
(excluding Operating While
Intoxicated and underage consumption) involve alcohol, including
fights, domestic violence and
thefts/burglaries.
Alcohol and Costs to Society
For many people, alcohol seems like
a great escape from the challenges of daily life. In reality,
abuse of
alcohol costs people their families, their jobs, and sometimes,
their lives. While it is hard to count the
total costs, here are some estimates:
- The estimated total cost of underage drinking consequences
was more than $58 billion per year
(in 2000 dollars, when studied in 1998).
- It was estimated in 1998 that the loss in productivity
for workers with past or current alcoholism
was $86.4 billion. The losses were greatest for males who started
drinking before age 15. This
means that local industries and businesses could be losing money
due to alcohol misuse!
- When 18- to 24-year-old current drinkers who failed to
complete high school were asked, nearly
60% of them said they had begun drinking before age 16. This
means that the workforce, so
important to economic development in a rural community such as
Marion, is better off when
teens don't start drinking early. In addition, drinking
alcohol under the age of 21 is illegal, just
like shoplifting. (All three above bulleted statistics are cited
on:
http://www.alcoholfreechildren.org/gs/pubs/html/Stat.htm#society
- In 2003, the estimated cost of fatal crashes to rural
Wisconsin was $765 million dollars. If the
deadly accidents that involved alcohol hadn't happened
because people had chosen not to drink or
didn't drive themselves, we might have saved approximately
$252 million dollars – over
$45/person!
What can YOU do about this issue: If you own or have
a leadership role in a business or industry,
support your workers in getting help when they need it. Develop
an awareness campaign in your
organization. We can all support local school and police efforts
to reduce underage drinking. Encourage
youth that you know to explore alternate activities, and tell
them you want the best for them – don't drink
alcohol! Get involved in the Marion Area Coalition for Healthy
Communities to make the Marion area as
safe and healthy as possible. For more information, contact the
Marion Area Family Resource Center in
the lower level of the library or at 715.754.2491.
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Drinking and
Driving
- 35% of Marion area residents indicated that drug and alcohol
use contributes to crashes or injuries
quite a bit or a great deal (per their response to a random
survey in Summer 2004).
- In Wisconsin, nearly 1 in every 3 crashes
that kill people involves alcohol. This makes alcohol the
highest individual contributor to vehicle deaths in Wisconsin.
Drinking and Driving
Many of us know or know of individuals who
have died in car crashes. Some of us know of individuals
who died because of drinking or having drugs while driving. It
doesn't have to be this way. Think of the
lives that would be saved if NO ONE drove after having a few
drinks!
Of all deadly car crashes in the United States from 1997-2001,
41% involved alcohol (US Government
Accounting Office). This means that if 100 people are killed
in crashes, 41 of them are likely dead due at
least in part to alcohol. This also means that if alcohol were
not present, those 41 people may be alive
today. That could be your neighbor, your friend, your relative.
In
Wisconsin, the law says the legal Blood Alcohol Content is .08
(8/100ths of 1 percent). According to
the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, this
level is reached in a 170-pound man after
drinking 5 12-ounce beers over 2 hours; a 120-pound woman reaches
the same limit after 3 beers in 2
hours. While that is the legal limit, recent studies show that
even with one drink, a person's driving skills
decrease. Drinking any amount of alcohol under the age of 21
is illegal, just like shoplifting.
While the cost to human life
is the most significant factor, there is also a financial cost.
In 2003, the
estimated cost of fatal crashes to rural Wisconsin was $765 million
dollars. If the deadly accidents that
involved alcohol hadn't happened because people had chosen
not to drink or didn't drive themselves, we
might have saved approximately $252 million dollars – over
$45/person!
What can YOU do about this issue: If you are drinking,
be sure to choose a trusted friend to bring you
home. You can report drivers who are weaving on the roads. Be
a friend to others, and take their keys so
they don't drive drunk. Get involved in the Marion Area
Coalition for Healthy Communities to make the
Marion area as safe and healthy as possible. For more information,
contact the Marion Area Family
Resource Center in the lower level of the library or at 715.754.2491.
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Alcohol and Sex
- Only 6% of Marion area residents believe that it is okay
for teens to drink at parties of they don't get drunk
(per their response to a random survey in Summer 2004).
- Nearly 1 in every 4 Marion area youth (grades 6-11) got
drunk at least once in the 2 weeks prior to responding to a
survey that asked that question (2002).
Alcohol and Sex
"Everything in moderation," right? Wrong. There
are some activities that even moderate participation is harmful.
This is true in the case of young people and alcohol.
Alcohol lowers a person's inhibitions, allowing them
to do what they may not otherwise do, such as having sex or unprotected
sex. Consider, too, that even one "moderate"experiment
with sex can leave a person with a lifetime of medical problems
(eg, herpes, chlamydia , and other sexually transmitted diseases),
a new life-long responsibility (pregnancy), and/or a life-threatening
illness (HIV/AIDS). That's not even to mention that drinking
alcohol under the age of 21 is illegal, just like shoplifting.
In an online article entitled Alcohol and Sexual Risk-Taking:
What Parents Need to Know (http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/parents/experts/blake.htm),
Jeanne Blake writes of parents' difficulty recognizing
their child's alcohol use: "Dr. Brian Johnson,
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical
School, says many parents choose to avoid the issue for a variety
of reasons. Sometimes, he says, they fear pushing their child
away. Other times it's denial. "When something is frightening,
like you know your child is behaving in an unsafe way," Dr.
Johnson explains, "You can decide you won't think about
it. You tell yourself it will be all right. But kids' drinking
is Russian roulette."
The following facts underscore Dr. Johnson's point - that underage
drinking is indeed a form of Russian roulette:
- Teens who report drinking alcohol on at least one occasion
are seven times more likely to have had sexual intercourse
than nondrinkers.
- Binge drinkers, like those who have ever used drugs, are
three times more likely to have contracted an STD than nonproblem
drinkers and nondrug users.
- Alcohol is more closely linked to sexual violence than any
other drug and is a common companion to rape, including date
rape. Alcohol use, by the victim, the perpetrator or both,
is implicated in 46 to 75 percent of date rapes of college
students.
"Source: The National Center on Addiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia University, Dangerous Liaisons: Substance
Abuse and Sex, 1999. "
What can YOU do about this issue: Talk with young people
about their use of alcohol – you want them to be safe.
Be aware of where you child is going, who they are going with
and when they will be back. Pay attention to signs that your
child might be using alcohol. Get involved in the Marion Area
Coalition for Healthy Communities to make the Marion area as
safe and healthy as possible. For more information, contact the
Marion Area Family Resource Center in the lower level of the
library or at 715.754.2491.
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