Set a good example for our youth

To the editor:
With summer in full swing and school a month and a half away, youth in our area are constantly on the move from one activity to the next.
Summer sporting leagues, high school conditioning for fall sports, county fair preparations and 4-H gatherings, family reunions and get-togethers and so much more. They are going from one event to the other and there are different influences that can alter the path of a young person along the way. A possible path a young person in our community can take is the path of underage drinking at parties, social events, community picnics and even family reunions.
Underage drinking is a rising problem in our community and has been for the past few years. Underage drinking is highly dangerous and poses many different risks and negative consequences on those who partake in it. Underage drinking can cause harm to just about anyone, but those who participate in the consumption of alcohol at such a young age are those at the highest risk of self-injury and causing injuries or death to others.
Reasons a young person would overlook the devastating consequences underage drinking could cause are the threat of peer pressure to drink along with their friends, the desire for an increase in independence from their parental figures and maybe the need to help deal with stress. An additional influence is the easy access to alcohol from many different sources ranging from older siblings or friends to parents or other adult figures in their life.
Every year in the United States about 5,000 youths under the age of 21 die because of underage drinking. These deaths include nearly 2,000 from motor vehicle crashes, 1,500 from homicides, close to 1,200 from alcohol poisoning, falls, burns or drowning and 300 from suicides, as indicated by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Also, in 2008, almost 200,000 youths under the legal drinking age of 21 were taken to the emergency room for injuries or illnesses related to alcohol use.
The impairment of judgment caused by alcohol use in youth under the legal age of drinking can lead to many poor decisions or engaging in risky behavior, which include drinking and driving, aggressiveness and violence. Consuming alcohol at such a young age can lead to interference with brain development as the youth continues to grow. Research has shown that brain development continues well into the 20s and that alcohol can alter or modify both brain structure and function. This could lead to cognitive or learning difficulties and could cause alcohol dependence in those who start to drink at an earlier age and more heavily.
Though there are so many devastating consequences that could happen with underage drinking, there are many ways to help prevent the consumption of alcohol by minors and young people in our community. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism gives a list of ways parents, teachers and any adult who serves as a mentor to young people can help them avoid alcohol problems. These include talking about the dangers of drinking, serving as positive role models, not making alcohol readily available to youths, having regular conversations about normal life changes in the youth’s development into an adult, supervising all parties so that there is no alcohol involved and encouraging youth to participate in activities that are fun and healthy that have nothing to do with alcohol.
Our community is a special place in the world in that we truly do care about the wellbeing of our young people and their future in this county. By knowing about the risks of underage drinking and knowing the ways to help combat this issue in our community, we can help Jay County and the surrounding areas continue to develop into a community of caring and a place where our children and children’s children will want to stay and grow.
Brianne Wuebker
Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition