Kids and Alcohol

Posted by Susan Carney Mar 13, 2008

MSNBC recently released the findings of a new report from the journal “Health and Education Behavior” that found that 17% of 6th graders have tried alcohol. This means that almost 1 in 5 eleven and twelve year olds have experimented with alcohol.

This information may not be surprising to some, but it should be a concern for all. The questions are many. Where are these kids getting the alcohol? Who is (or isn’t) supervising them? Where is this happening? It also speaks to the ever present need to find alternate, positive activities for teens. We all know that kids who are actively engaged in healthy activities in their schools, communities, and churches are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol.

Are these kids with undiagnosed mental health problems who are attempting to self-medicate? Or just bored kids with nothing to do? What kinds of role models are we presenting? What kind of messages are we sending about responsible alcohol use, either personally or through the media?

We also need to examine our prevention efforts. April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and you can check out The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information for information and ideas you can implement with your kids.