by Converting on May 16, 2012
In the next 30 days, more than 10 million Americans under the age of 21 will drink alcohol. According to a 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 55 percent of kids will have tried alcohol by the time they are 20. These numbers are astounding not just because underage drinking is illegal, but also because of the many hazards of underage drinking.
According to one study, 31 percent of college students meet the criteria for alcohol abuse. Another 6 percent can be diagnosed with alcohol dependence. These same students may fail their classes, drive while drunk, injure themselves or others, vandalize property, be the victim of assault or sexual abuse, or die because of alcohol. Some of the statistics are unbelievable:
- 25 percent of college students report difficulty with classes, tests, and papers as a result of alcohol
- 11 percent of college students report vandalizing property while under the influence of alcohol
- Nearly 100,000 college students are victims of sexual assault or date rape every year because of alcohol
- Over 3 million people between the ages of 18 and 24 will drive while under the influence of alcohol
Part of the problem is that teenagers tend to binge drink. They get together at a party with getting drunk as the main goal. They participate in drinking games and challenges as the result of peer pressure. The definition of binge drinking is more than four drinks for women and five drinks for men in a two hour period.
There can be long term effects of drinking, especially binge drinking, at an early age. The teenage brain is still developing and alcohol can have an affect on that development. Teenagers that do not drink have a better memory than those that do drink. Women are especially prone to the effects of drinking on the developing mind. This may be related to the fact that women develop earlier than men. Teens of the same age can drink the same amount but women’s brains are at a different level of development.
Memory isn’t the only thing affected by binge drinking. Drinking alcohol causes the body to increase production of immune cells. These cells then attach to vessel walls. In the long term, this doubles the chance of having a heart attack. Binge drinking can also cause a spike in triglyceride levels in the body. This can cause pancreatitis.
Underage drinking is illegal yet kids are still getting access to alcohol. 65 percent of underage drinkers get alcohol from friends or family members. 7 percent get alcohol from a store that does not confirm age through identification. Only 3 percent are getting alcohol by using a fake ID. Many kids attend parties without knowledge of how the alcohol was acquired.
by Converting on May 15, 2012
D.A.R.E. is a police officer led series of lessons that helps kids in kindergarten through twelfth grade live drug and violence free. The program started in 1983 in Los Angeles. It is now found in 75% of United States schools and 43 countries. D.A.R.E is so popular that the non-profit D.A.R.E. America was formed. D.A.R.E. America helps establish new D.A.R.E. programs, trains officers in the program, provides educational materials, helps in the development of curriculum, and promotes the program nationwide. Since 1988 there has been a National D.A.R.E. Day; in 2012 it was celebrated on April 5.
In addition to being police officers, those who teach D.A.R.E. go through training in child development, classroom management, and teaching techniques. Additional training is required in order to teach D.A.R.E. in a high school. All of this training is necessary because D.A.R.E. provides more than simple information about drugs, violence, and gangs. It also provides students with the skills they need to resist peer pressure.
Perhaps the most important part of the D.A.R.E. program is the relationship that is built between the students and the police officers. Without this program, students may see officers as harsh law enforcers. Through the program, students begin to see officers as helpful and knowledgeable people.
There is conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of the D.A.R.E. program. The D.A.R.E. website presents many studies in which the program is considered valuable. In a survey conducted in Illinois, 97% of teachers liked the program, 92.8% of parents thought the program was effective, and 86% of principals believe that kids who go through the program will be less likely to use drugs. A Texas survey of ninth graders showed that only 11.3% of D.A.R.E. participants used drugs heavily. This is compared with 18.6% of non-D.A.R.E. participants. A study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse showed that starting the program early is important. Fifth graders that started a school-based prevention program in first grade were less likely to use alcohol or other drugs.
Other studies insist that D.A.R.E. is actually counterproductive. These studies show that doing nothing would be better than using the D.A.R.E. program. They point to data from the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Academy of Sciences. A Houston, Texas study showed a 29% increase in the use of drugs among D.A.R.E. participants. The U.S. Department of Education prohibits schools from using its funding towards a D.A.R.E. program because of the ineffectiveness. The Department of Education has also identified three programs that they believe are effective: Life Skills Training Program, Project ALERT, and Strengthening Families Program. These programs work for particular populations and are very expensive.
