Who We Are - Overview

3 October 2000
California Youth Confront Their Number One Killer
Teens Present Policy Recommendations at Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking

RIVERSIDE, CA – Armed with their own solutions, students from all over the state gathered at the Riverside Convention Center today to present policy recommendations to the state's and the nation's Number 1 youth killer: Underage Drinking.

During the two-hour Town Hall Meeting, students came up with a list of solutions that could help California put a stop to youth alcohol use. The policy recommendations are very similar to those voted on by teen delegates from every congressional district during the MADD National Youth Summit to Prevent Underage Drinking held in Washington, D.C. the same day.

The recommendations are:

	Increased Enforcement of Zero Tolerance and underage drinking laws;
	Reducing alcohol marketing and advertising targeting youth; and
	Prosecuting those adults who provide alcohol to minors.

"We are here today to present policy recommendations to combat the problem of underage drinking. Why? Because alcohol is the number one drug of choice for youth and it's killing us," said Lauren Weston, from the California Youth Council and a moderator of the Town Hall. "We need stronger enforcement of Zero Tolerance and underage drinking laws."

Alcohol-related crashes are the leading cause of death among young people 15 to 24 in the United States. That's 42 people every week or six every day.

Alcohol also is a factor in over 50 percent of all youth suicides and all teen rapes.

"When you're a teenager, you think you are immortal and do a lot of stupid things," added Laura Berumen, a San Diego delegate who recently lost a classmate to alcohol poisoning. "Why should you have to lose somebody to know what the real consequences of underage drinking are?"

The economic cost of underage drinking is also astronomical. California leads the nation in underage drinking costs, spending $6.5 billion a year. In the U.S., the total cost of alcohol use by youth exceeds $50 billion each year.

Town Hall participants also said they are tired of seeing alcohol advertisements targeting youth on or around their schools and neighborhoods. It estimated that by the age of 18, a young person would have seen over 100,000 alcohol advertisements.

"Why shouldn't we drink, if we are constantly being bombarded with alcohol advertising? On television, on billboards, on the radio; even on the Internet," said Juan Salazar, another San Diego delegate. "Alcohol advertising is everywhere and the more kids like myself are exposed to it, the greater the chance that they'll drink."

Even though there has been a slight decline in youth alcohol use across the country, alcohol continues to be the number one drug of choice for youth. It is against the law for young people to drink, yet 10 of the nation's 113 million drinkers are underage. Of those, 4.4 are binge drinkers, having consumed five or more drinks on one occasion in the last month, and 1.9 are heavy drinkers, consuming five or more drinks on at least five different times in one month.

In California, a recently published survey revealed that 16% of 7th graders, 29% of 9th and 44% of 11th reported having had a drink in the previous month.

California teens also see the need to step up community support for enforcement of laws that punish adults who provide alcohol to minors.

"Teens get their alcohol from adults who should know better. Parents who let kids drink need to stop," said Matt Ellis, representing the East County region of San Diego. "Adults are not doing teenagers a favor by letting them drink."

Almost two thirds of all youth that consume alcohol purchase it themselves. But adults that provide alcohol to teens or allow them to drink at home is a serious problem.

"Parents, older siblings, friends and relatives who provide alcohol to youth must face the consequences," added Ellis.

To ensure that the issue of underage drinking receives the visibility it deserves, each state is organizing its own Town Hall Meeting to come up with their own policy recommendations, which the youth will present to their local, state and national elected officials. In California, the Youth Town Hall was part of the California Prevention Summit 2000, which took place at the Riverside Convention Center on October 2-3.

According to Lori D. Cramer, president of the San Diego County chapter of MADD, the purpose of the National Youth Summit and the state town hall meetings is to encourage a dialogue at the state level that will focus on underage drinking prevention and includes youth participation.

"The only way to prevent underage drinking is to involve young people in all of our efforts to make a change," said Cramer. "The MADD Youth Summit in Washington, D.C. and the follow-up town hall meetings in each state, give students the opportunity to flex their muscles, provide their own solutions to the problem of underage drinking and demand action from local legislators."

The youth agree.

"Our elected officials have a significant responsibility to reduce the availability of alcohol. It's time for our government representatives and political candidates to give the problem of underage drinking as much attention as they do to photo-ops with children and teens," demanded Weston. "The problem of underage drinking has become a deadly epidemic. It's time that we do something about it."