Press Release

Lt. Governor Brad Owen Recognizes Local Underage Drinking Efforts

Washington is a state that takes underage drinking very seriously – yet drinking by youth continues to be widespread and often leads to tragic results.

We know that alcohol continues to be the top drug of choice for Washington’s youth. As a matter of fact, on average young people begin drinking at 13. That is the average; some start younger.

Young people will always believe that adults are just preaching to them when we tell them not to drink. What’s worse is that our kids are continuing to be bombarded by messaging from advertisers, movies, cyberspace and other media that reinforce the idea that drinking is cool. These same messages never talk about the kids who are maimed or killed on our highways or families that are ruined by alcohol or other addictive substances.

Many communities themselves continue to encourage and promote local events where drinking is accepted and encouraged. Sports events, Octoberfests, community fundraisers and even county fairs often include alcohol advertising in their marketing or feature beer gardens.

The data is both bountiful and compelling. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism those who begin drinking by age 15 are four times as likely to become alcohol dependent than those who wait until age 21. Too often the source of youth alcohol is from their home.

Healthy Youth Survey results for Kittitas County indicate students report that alcohol is easier to get the older they are, with 7 percent of sixth graders and 42 percent of twelfth graders reporting it is easy to get.

One recent study indicates that half of the sixth graders who report that they drink also say that it is with the knowledge of a parent and is at home. Perhaps the parents do not know that the first drinking episode might be a killer.

That is why the work of community groups such as the Kittitas County Public Health and Community Network and the Kittitas County DUI Task Force and the Campus-Community Coalition are so important. These groups partner with law enforcement and help raise awareness of the problem and the impacts.

At the state level, the work being done by the Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking continues to encourage, coordinate and collaborate between state agencies and communities. Their website, Starttalkingnow.org, is full of advice and tips that parents can use to communicate with their children about drinking. The coalition will be coordinating more than 100 town meetings in communities across the state this spring, with one of the meeting being held in Kittitas County.

A big part of the solution is to continue to raise awareness of the problems of teen drinking through communication and education. Every one of us has a responsibility to speak out and to help our young people grow up in a safe and healthy environment.

It’s time to speak out boldly on this issue. I will certainly continue to do just that. By working together, we can all make a difference.

Brad Owen, the Lt. Governor of Washington State, has been a devoted leader in substance use/abuse prevention for many years. The work of Lt. Governor Owen and his staff is highlighted at www.ltgov.wa.gov.

The Kittitas County Community Network/Drug Free Communities Coalition and the Community Network agency, through a federal Drug Free Communities grant, are implementing the “Start Talking Before They Start Drinking” campaign as a community service for parents. For more information go to www.kccn-dfc.com.