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[MUSIC]
As we grow into our teen years,
the chance we will use alcohol grows.
We spend less time with our parents and more time
alone or with our friends.
We worry about our friendships and our desire
for adventure and excitement increases.
That's why many of us want to take more chances,
try new things and be more independent.
And though all these things are a normal part of growing up,
these changes can increase the chance that
some of us may turn to alcohol
before the legal drinking age of 21.
Did you know drinking under age is commonly done at home?
Nationally, 30 percent of teens between thirteen and
fourteen years old last used alcohol in their own homes.
And more than 60 percent of sixteen and seventeen year olds
that drink used alcohol in someone else's home.
Now there's absolutely nothing wrong with us hanging out at
our home or at our friends' home, but
when we become curious about drinking alcohol and
the home is available to us, the potential to make
poor choices about drinking increases.
Did you know that each year approximately 5,000 people
under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking?
This includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes,
1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, and hundreds
more from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning;
all attributed to drinking alcohol.
Here in Colorado, over 72% of high school students
aged 15-18 said they have experienced drinking.
In fact, nationally 2 out of 3 teens aged 13-18
said it is easy to get alcohol in their own home
without their parents knowing.
The truth is that underage drinking is
often made possible by adults.
After all, we can't legally get alcohol on our own.
Therefore, it is an adult responsibility
to prevent underage drinking, especially in your own home.
While it's important to allow us to do things
on our own and take more responsibility for ourselves,
it is also important to recognize that
we still look to adults for guidance.
You have more influence on our values and decisions
about drinking than you may realize, and your own actions
are the most powerful example.
Parents and guardians,
to prevent underage drinking in your home:
Realize that our perceptions of parental disapproval,
dishonesty, and harm to our health are far more
powerful deterrents to drinking than legal restrictions alone.
Make sure your teens know what the law is,
and what you expect from them.
Be sure your teens understand the rules are maintained
at all times and they hold true even at other people's houses.
Limit the amount of time your teens spend unsupervised.
Know where your teens are and
get acquainted with their friends.
Reducing access to alcohol is important.
Have an alcohol-free home-
the simplest way to prevent us from accessing alcohol
is to not store it in the home.
PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING;
IT'S AN ADULT RESPONSIBILITY.
DO YOUR PART!