Other views: Teen use of alcohol is a big problem

Talk about it

It’s easy to get lost in the sea of statistics, but the bottom line is this: Alcohol use among high school and college students in North Dakota remains a big problem.

That’s what a recent survey shows and it’s not surprising. Underage drinking, binge drinking and driving while under the influence have long been problems in the state, something the survey shows is still happening.

A few of the alarming statistics from the survey:

— 83.5 percent of students surveyed acknowledged using alcohol in the past year.

— 18.6 percent used alcohol three or more times per week, while 50.6 percent had at some time five or more drinks at one sitting.

— 40.6 percent admitted driving a car while under the influence of alcohol.

The dizzying statistics show that parents and students have much work ahead of them. It won’t be easy to change the culture of acceptance when it comes to underage drinking it’s not as if this is a new problem, and North Dakota certainly isn’t the only state to have these serious problems.

We urge students to educate themselves on the dangers of underage drinking. We know it seems like drinking is the “in” thing to do, but it’s not, and not everyone is doing it. It’s dangerous. We know the problem will never go away completely, but education can at least help reduce the numbers.

Parents, continue to talk to your children even if they’re in college about the dangers of underage drinking and drinking and driving. It’s never easy and it can’t be a one-time conversation, but the sooner you start the dialogue with your children the better. And to those parents who aren’t already talking to their children about this problem — What are you waiting for?

Tags: other views, opinion, editorials, alcohol, teens, teenagers