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Alcohol is the top threat to youth.
West County Coalition for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth partners with West Sonoma County Union High School District to institute a Parent/Community Pledge to prevent youth access to alcohol.
Alcohol continues to be the #1 drug of choice for youth. Youth use alcohol 10 times more than all illegal drugs combined. Underage drinking is a factor in nearly half of all teen automobile crashes and 50 to 65 percent of youth suicides. Alcohol use is linked to as many as two thirds of all sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and college students, and contributes substantially to homicides and fatal injuries. Alcohol is also a contributing factor in unprotected sex among youth, exposing youth to unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/Aids.
Teen alcohol use is a problem in West Sonoma County. In the recent California Healthy Kids Survey, west county teens reported frequent high-risk consumption of alcohol. Both 9th and 11th grade students reported higher rates of alcohol use in the past 30-days and rates of binge drinking compared to their counterparts across the State of California (binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks on one occasion or five or more drinks in a row for men and four or more drinks in a row for women.)
The Sebastopol Police Department received funding from the Prevention and Planning Division of Sonoma County Department of Health Services to address underage drinking by implementing community-based environmental prevention strategies designed to change or influence community conditions and settings that contribute to underage drinking. Environmental prevention is grounded in the field of public health, which emphasizes the broader physical, social, cultural and institutional forces that contribute to problems and the implementation of formal and informal policy solutions to reduce collective risk factors and promote more protective environments.
Funding from the Prevention and Planning Division of Sonoma County Department of Health Services supports the work of the West County Coalition for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth, a group of west county parents, educators, law enforcement officers, health professionals, and other community members whose mission is to create safe and healthy environments in which youth can thrive by preventing youth access to alcohol and other drugs. The Coalition is currently addressing youth social access to alcohol.
Research has identified “easy access to alcohol” as one of two factors that contribute to underage drinking. In a 2006 local community assessment related to underage drinking, the vast majority of west county teens who participated in youth surveys and focus groups reported that alcohol was very easy to get and identified the following primary social sources for obtaining alcohol:
• teens take alcohol from their own home and from friend’s home without permission
• older siblings and other family members will purchase alcohol for them
• older friends will purchase alcohol for them
• alcohol is provided at teen parties
• teens solicit strangers outside off-sale outlets to purchase alcohol for them
• some parents provide alcohol and/or allow underage drinking to take place in their homes or on private property
Research identified “permissive attitudes” as the second community factor contributes to underage drinking. Our social norms and expectations play a powerful role in shaping the alcohol environment at both the community and societal level. The commonly held belief that underage drinking is an inevitable “rite of passage” that adolescents can easily survive because their bodies are more resilient than adults, for example, creates an environment that encourages alcohol use and downplays the potential harmful consequences. This belief also leaves parents feeling powerless to prevent underage drinking. This holds true for the commonly held belief that it is safer for youth to consume alcohol at home where they won’t be out drinking and driving. Even if youth do not drive after drinking, other long-term consequences pose unacceptable risks to youths.
The West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD) is actively involved in the West County Coalition for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth and is partnering with the Coalition to implement a Parent/Community Pledge beginning in October. As teen parties are a primary place where underage and binge drinking takes place, it is imperative that parents take pro-active steps to prevent underage drinking in their homes. The Pledge serves as a tool to support parent’s efforts in this area and includes guidelines for hosting or supervising events.
In signing the Parent/Community Pledge, parents agree to the following:
• I will not serve minors or allow youth under 21 to consume alcohol or use other drugs on my property.
• When hosting a youth party, I will be home, visible and aware of what the youth attending the party are doing.
• I will not allow teen parties or gatherings in my home when I am not there.
• I will share the information in this pledge with my child/children.
The West County Coalition for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth strongly urges parents to sign the Pledge. By preventing youth access to alcohol we make our community a safer place for youth and the community at large.
If you have any questions about the Pledge, or want to know more about The West County Coalition for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth, or if you are interested in joining the Coalition, please contact:
Diane Davis, Environmental Prevention Coordinator
West County Coalition for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth
Located at: Sebastopol Police Department
6850 Laguna Park Way
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Phone: (707) 829-4400
Cell: (707) 508-6242
Email: dianedavis3@gmail.com
Underage drinking is a community problem that requires community solutions.
Current Coalition Partners
Sebastopol Police Department
Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department
West Sonoma County Union High School District
Sebastopol Union School District
Prevention and Planning Division, Department of Health Services
West County Community Services
West County Health Centers
Azure Acres
Parents
Youth
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