To increase awareness of the problem of underage drinking, a nationwide series of 1,600 town hall meetings have been scheduled in March and April in hopes of encouraging local officials to take actions to prevent and reduce the problem. The first of these meetings featured Acting U.S. Surgeon General Steven K. Galson on March 24 in Riverton, Wyoming.

The meetings highlight the public health dangers of underage drinking and steps that parents, community leaders and concerned citizens can take to combat and prevent it. April is national Alcohol Awareness Month.

"This problem is not going away on its own," said Dr. Galson in a news release. "Only by working together can we make a difference."

The town hall meetings are sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking and state and local organizations.

More Drinks Per Day Than Adults

According to a new SAMHSA report:

• 28.3 percent of 12-20 year olds (10.8 million people) are current alcohol drinkers.

• This same group drank on an average of 5.9 days in the past month and consumed an average of 4.9 drinks per day.

• On the days they drank, they consumed more drinks per day than persons aged 21 or older.

"These town hall events are one of many efforts SAMHSA and its partners are taking to respond to the growing realization that the scope and ramifications of underage drinking are worse than we thought," said Terry Cline, Ph.D., SAMHSA Administrator. "Ninety-six percent of alcohol dependent adults started drinking before the age of 21, and a growing body of research suggests that alcohol may change the way the brain works and the way it's wired – potentially having consequences far beyond adolescence."

More information about the short and long-term consequences of underage drinking, tips for parents on initiating conversations about alcohol, and information on the town hall meetings, are available online or by calling 1-877-SAMHSA7. Details of the Acting Surgeon General's Call to Action is available online.

Related Information:

• Negative Self-Image Promotes Damaging Teen Behaviors
  
• Kids Most Influenced by Siblings' Drinking, Smoking
  
• Youth Drinking Spells Later Alcohol Problems

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