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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (March 7, 2013)
8 vernonia prevention coalition march7 2013 The content on this page is provided by the Vernonia Prevention Coalition Be a Piece of the Puzzle Underage Drinking: It is About Who You Know By DeAnna Pearl Do you know what the biggest risk factor for un- derage drinking is? It’s having a best friend who drinks. It turns out that kids who have their first whole drink (not just sips) before age 15 have a four times higher risk of developing al- coholism: Four times. Given how alco- holism can devastate not only the life of the alcoholic but the lives around them, it’s really important that parents know the risk factors: Not only social risk fac- tors but the risk to the brain’s full devel- opment. The biggest risk factor is having a best friend who drinks, which makes sense. Peer pressure is huge for adoles- cents. Most Vernonia 8th graders, 69%, reported their peers would disapprove of them drinking even a little. (Student Wellness Survey, 2012) However, there’s also the matter of availability: You have to be able to get the alcohol to drink it, and having friends who drink makes that more likely. In Vernonia, there are 10 alcohol outlets and during the summer several more during events in a one square mile area. Unfor- tunately, youth report they get most of their alcohol from older friends or older siblings. What this means for parents is that you need to know whom your kids hang out with and where they hang out. Now, it’s not always possible to know everything about your kids’ friends but you can ask questions. You can try to make your house kid (teen)-friendly so that they hang out there and you can get to know them. This is not to be confused with the attitude, “It’s OK for my kids to drink with their friends if I am home. It’s safer!” This is actually contributing to a minor and very much illegal. While you don’t have to be BFF’s with other parents, it is important to know who they are. You can get to know their parents by introducing yourself at school gatherings or when you drop off or pick up your kid. The bottom line is who your kid hangs out with matters. There comes at a certain point where a parent can’t dictate your child’s friendships, of course. But you can certainly try to steer them toward activities, like sports, out of school activities, clubs and programs, where they will meet mo- tivated kids who are less likely to drink: Not that kids in sports don’t drink or in band for that matter, but getting kids involved generally helps protect them against alcohol use. FYI: According to 83-88% of 6 th , 8 th and 11 th graders in VSD 47J, there are lots of chances for students to get involved in sports, clubs, and other activities outside of class. (Student Wellness Survey, 2012) According to the Risk and Protective Factor theory, youth whom bond with peers whom have healthy beliefs and clear standards are less likely to be at risk for drug and al- cohol abuse. It is imperative that these programs have clear standards around conduct and expectations. An even greater contributing factor is a consis- tent, safe, and positive volunteer and or mentor that support program policy dur- ing the times our children are participat- ing in functions. How do we help assure that the people whom our children come into contact with have their best interest at heart? We ask. Further, ask how the program leaders enforce the policies for both youth and adults participating in whatever capacity. There were two other big risk factors for having that first whole drink early. The first: having a family member with high-risk drinking behavior. That doesn’t necessarily mean alcoholism, al- though alcoholism does run in families. It means any unhealthy or risky drinking. Risky drinking is defined as drinking at levels that put a person at risk of medical and or causes social problems. Drinking too much too fast often times during so- cial events and gatherings is risky drink- ing. It is during these risky times that we do things we wouldn’t normally due such as fighting, property damage, and driving under the influence. The other factor to consider is having a conduct problem or change in normal behavior. While some behaviors may indicate an alcohol or other drug problem, some also reflect normal teen- age growing pains. Experts believe that a drinking problem is more likely if you notice several of these signs at the same time: • Mood changes • School problems • Rebelling against family rules • Switching friends • Secretive about new friends • A “nothing matters” attitude • Finding alcohol in your child’s room or backpack • Smelling alcohol on his or her breath • Physical or mental problems While it can be hard to know for sure, certain behaviors can alert you to the possibility of an alcohol problem. If you think your child may be in trouble with drinking, consider getting advice from a health care professional special- izing in alcohol problems before talk- ing with your teen. Talk to your doctor about resources in your community to support your child — and you. Re- member, no matter what age your chil- dren, the first line of defense to reduce use and abuse are parents. Your relation- ship with your child can go a really long way toward helping them not just now, but in giving them the best future pos- sible. Some on-line resources are www.theantidrug.com and http://www. drugfree.org/Parent/. Both provide up-to-date information and services to help parents positively. If you need more information, contact, DeAnna Pearl, Vernonia Prevention Co- alition, @ DeAnna@vernonia-or.gov or (503) 369-7370. Spencer Health and Wellness School Based Health Center is open to patients on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM 2012-2013 Vernonia Prevention Coalition Sector Representatives Position Name Sector Contact Affiliation Chair Josette Mitchell Government (503) 429-4232 COV Mayor Vice Chair Pete Weisel School (503) 429-3521 VHS Councilor Exec. Board Dr. Ken Cox Media (503) 429-5891 VSD Superintendent Exec. Board Shawn Carnahan Police (503) 429-4232 COV Police Board Member Nic Welch Faith (503) 748-9193 Vernonia Comm. Church Sector Member Mark Brown Faith (503) 961-5281 Vernonia Comm. Church Board Member Breanne Mares Prevention (503) 396-7637 Col. County Mental Health Board Member Heidi Brown Business (503) 429-2787 Grey Dawn Gallery Board Member Gina Fields Parent (503) 429-6306 Parent Teacher Association Board Member Kathy Kelly Youth Serving (503) 369-7249 Vernonia Head Start Board Member Alexis Baska Youth (503) 429-3521 O.S.S.O.M. Sector Member Michal Bathurst Youth (503) 429-3521 O.S.S.O.M. Board Member George Tice Civic Org. (503) 880-1627 Lions Club Board Member Ashley Swanson Health Serv. (503) 396-2074 Public Health Foundation of Columbia County Heather Lewis Contractor (503) 429-4677 Resource Coordinator VPC Mission: To develop safe and healthy neighborhoods through collaborative planning, community action, policy advocacy and enforcement.
