Buying Booze

How do teens buy alcohol?

Maybe…

With a fake i-d.

“I mean I’ve had a fake, I-D. Bought it a few times,” says Stephen, 19.

Maybe with a bribe.

“At gas stations or liquor stores if you tip them extra money then they’re more willing to give it to you,” says Megan, 15,

Maybe with just dumb luck.

“The guy carded me and I guess he couldn’t count numbers or something ‘cause he counted on his fingers and just sold it to me,” says Eric, 17.

In fact, according to the Department of Justice… of teenagers who drink… almost two-thirds say sometimes they buy their own.

One big reason… availability.

“More and more our country has allowed alcohol to be sold pretty much any place you buy break and milk,” says Cathy Finck, the head of an underage drinking task force.

She says there are a few things parents can do.

First, deal with the fake I-D’s, “Have a Wednesday ‘check the kids wallet night’ to make sure if they have one… parents are confiscating it.”

Second… ask your kids themselves what they think the consequences should be for drinking, having a fake I-D, buying booze. “I find youth are usually harder than some parents are willing to be with the consequence,” says Finck.

Third, let your teen know if nothing else works… you have the power to have their license officially revoked. “Parent of students under 18 years of age can write a letter to the department of motor vehicle safety and say I am revoking my child’s, student’s driving privileges… whatever. And they’ll enter it into the computer.”

Finck says once kids understand the real price… they may choose not to buy alcohol.

16-year-old Pierre agrees, “If you want to mess up your life that’s your decision, you’re in charge of your life… that’s my take on it.”

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, kids at the highest risk for alcohol-related problems include those who:

• Began using alcohol or other drugs before the age of 15.
• Have a parent who is a problem drinker or an alcoholic.
• Have close friends who use alcohol and/or other drugs.
• Have been aggressive, antisocial or hard to control from an early age.
• Have experienced childhood abuse and/or major trauma.
• Have current behavioral problems and/or are failing in school.
• Have parents who do not support them, do not communicate with them, and/or are not aware of their behavior or whereabouts.

As a parent, it is extremely important to know the warning signs of alcoholism. The following list was created by the American Academy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

• Physical – fatigue, repeated health complaints, red and glazed eyes, a lasting cough
• Emotional – personality change, sudden mood changes, irritability, irresponsible behavior, low self-esteem, poor judgment, depression, a general lack of interest
• Family – starting arguments, breaking rules, withdrawing from the family
• School – decreased interest, negative attitude, drop in grades, many absences, truancy, discipline problems
• Social – problems with the law, changes to less conventional styles in dress and music, new friends who are less interested in standard home and school activities

Even if your child is not exhibiting any of the warning signs above, consider establishing the following strategies to reduce the risk of teen drinking in the future.

• Establish a loving, trusting relationship with your child.
• Make it easy for your teen to talk honestly with you.
• Talk with your child about the facts regarding alcohol, reasons not to drink and ways to avoid drinking in difficult situations.
• Keep tabs on your teen’s activities, and join with other parents in making common policies about teen alcohol use.
• Develop family rules about teen drinking and establish consequences.
• Set a good example regarding your own alcohol use and your response to teen drinking.
• Encourage your child to develop healthy friendships and fun alternatives to drinking.
• Know whether your child is at high risk for a drinking problem. If so, take steps to lessen the risk.
• Know the warning signs of a teen drinking problem and act promptly to get help for your child.
• Believe in your own power to help your child.

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency
WebMD Health
Alcohol Abuse Prevention: Your Life, Your Choice!