Red alert on teen binge drinking

(The following is from RID-USA.)

New study released by the CDC

 

Our youth are at risk. Nearly half of all U.S. high-school students admit to drinking alcohol illegally and of these 46% were binge drinkers. These heavy drinking teens were more than five times as likely as others to smoke cigarettes & marijuana, four times more likely to be in a fight and they are more likely to committee suicide. (Source: CDC: Center for Disease Control, 1-2-07)

An estimated 4,000 youths die of AOD (alcohol overdose) annually (National Center for Health Statistics, Code 305.0) and heavy alcohol intake was the contributing cause in 3,817 deaths (in 1997). Since then, AOD fatalities have risen including 1,700 AOD deaths on college campuses annually.

 

Despite these alarming trends, there are no rallies or protests against campus advertising of alcohol. Where is the public outcry against the continuing damage to our youth? Let’s remedy the lack of awareness among college administrators and parents. Their children are swimming in an alcohol approved environment, and often, are drowning in it.

I ask that you help remedy this lack of knowledge about teen binge drinking BEFORE Spring Break(March 15) when teens are at high risk of unsupervised drinking. Your simple action can help save young lives.

Call 518-372-0034 for more information and contacts or e-mail: daiken2@nycap.rr.com, Fax 518-370-4917, or check the web at www.rid-usa.org

 

Please write, E-mail, call or Fax your own message to following TV shows — ask them to help bring the above facts to the attention of parents. Tell your friends about this issue and encourage them to get involved. Also, you can respond back to RID with further ideas on ways to reach the public about these issues.

 

Contact Information:

                          

Thank you,

 

Doris Aiken — RID Founder & President