Michigan law enforcement agencies are cracking down on underage drinking

By Elizabeth Hicks

Hicks@CountyWideNewspaper.com

Kalamazoo County ranked #7 in the state for underage drinking. Alcohol is the drug of choice for America’s youth. One out of every two eighth-graders has tried alcohol and 29% of kids age 12 – 20 use alcohol, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Alcohol use in this age group even ranks higher than tobacco use (24%) or illicit drug use (14%).

                For adolescents, any alcohol consumption, not just binge drinking, can be harmful. Alcohol can affect the development of the brain, especially affecting motor functions, impulse control, memory, and judgment and decision making capacity.

                According SAMHSA, adolescent alcohol use has been linked with violence, risky sexual behavior, poor academic performance, alcohol-related driving incidents, and other harmful behaviors.

The chance for an adolescent to develop alcohol dependency decreases by 14% each year the adolescent delays drinking.

Kalamazoo County recently received a grant from the Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) to help law enforcement agencies crack down on underage drinking. Michigan counties receive the grant based on a problem analysis and statistical information. The statistics gathered include the population, the college population, the percent of “have been drinking” or HBD crashes, the percent of fatal HBD crashes, annual crashes witch involved a HBD minor, and other alcohol-related statistics.

                Two WMU police officers will team up with two Michigan State Policemen from March 31 through April 23 to look for underage drinking parties in the county. The officers will spend most of their time in and around the WMU campus.

                Underage drinking “is no longer just a law enforcement problem…we have to get the community involved”, says Lt. Brian Crandall of the WMU Police.

                Underage drinking cost Michigan residents $2.4 billion dollars in 2001. The cost to residents from underage drinking come from youth violence, traffic crashes, high-risk sex, property crime, youth injury, poisonings and psychoses, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and alcohol treatment.

                “Parents have got to get involved,” says Crandall. Crandall also mentions that religious organizers, community groups, substance abuse treatment programs, the court system have got to get involved and crack down on underage drinking.

                Parents often underestimate how much their opinion matters to their children. According to SAMHSA, parents are one of the key factors children decide not to drink.

Parents should begin by talking to their children every day. This will keep the lines of communication open and parents will find it easier to talk to their children about more difficult topics. Get involved in your child’s life. Ask about activities they are interested in. Be a role model. Model the behaviors you want you child to have.

Providing a clear and consistent message not to drink will help adolescent making poor decisions. Also, adolescents are less likely to drink if their parents are involved in their life. Parents should also set clear rules about alcohol use. They should be specific, consistent, and reasonable. And always award good behaviors.

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