The Berrien County Health Department is reminding parents and teens about the dangers of underage alcohol use during this Alcohol Awareness Month.
Department public health promotion and prevention supervisor Hannah Darr tells us even in a world with new substance abuse threats available, teen drinking is still a problem.
“We actually know that alcohol is the number one most commonly misused substance among teens,” Darr said. “So while we know that there are lots of other substances that are important to talk about, like vaping and marijuana, it’s still really important that we bring up issues related to alcohol since it is so commonly misused and is often maybe one of the first substances a teen may misuse in their lifetime.”
Darr says teen alcohol use comes with obvious risks like the chance of getting to a car crash and poor performance in school, but there are other reasons for a young person to avoid drinking.
“Teens who begin drinking before the age of 15 are 3.6 times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder as an adult. So that’s one of the reasons why we really want to talk about waiting to start until they are of age just because we know that their brains are still developing.”
Darr says around one in five teens between 14 and 15 have reported having at least one drink in their lifetime, according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
“For the state of Michigan, I do know that in 2023, there were 1,300 alcohol-related car crashes involving underage drivers. So that’s one statistic we like to highlight. We know about a lot of the risks and dangers to health, but this can be particularly dangerous if a teen does choose to drink and drive.”
The Berrien County Health Department urges parents to talk to their kids early about the topic.
“We know that one of the evidence-based strategies for preventing teens from using any type of substance, including alcohol, is just having open and honest conversations with parents and caregivers about where ground rules are set about alcohol use. The teen has an opportunity to ask questions and also understand the expectations.”
And Darr says it doesn’t hurt to keep the liquor cabinet locked. The health department engages in other activities to keep the community safe from underage alcohol use.
“One of the things we work on at the health department is ensuring that the retailers in our community know how to properly check identification so that they aren’t actively selling to a young person.”
The Berrien County Health Department will be spreading the message about problem alcohol use all month. It has more information for parents and teens at its website.
