"15 - 5 - 21"

Author: Don Starn
Executive Director
Prevention Plus of Burlington County, Inc.

A recent study indicates that parents are clueless when it comes to the extent to which their children and youth are drinking. 3% of parents surveyed believe that their child has binged (drinking 5 or more drinks in a row) in the past month. The truth is that 33% of youth have engaged in binge drinking - 10 times more than parents thought!

As a parent of three, aged 21, 19 and 16 this truth greatly concerns me, both for my own children as well as for their peers.

"Alcohol remains the drug of choice for our youth"

15 - 5 - 21. What do these numbers mean? A youth who begins drinking at age 15 is 5 times more likely to become alcohol dependent than if they waited to begin drinking until the legal age of 21. Another way to express the same fact is that 40% of those who begin drinking before the age of 15 will become alcohol dependent.

There are many reasons to establish a clear "no use" rule in our homes when it comes to underage drinking, but 15 - 5 - 21 is one of the most powerful reasons I know. I certainly do not want my child to grow up alcohol dependent and I know you feel the same way.

Alcohol remains the drug of choice for our youth. 20% of 8 th graders confirm the use of alcohol in the past 30 days with less than 10% reporting the use of cigarettes and about 5% using marijuana. According to recent New Jersey surveys, 14% of middle school youth report past month alcohol use as compared to 45% of high school youth. 6% of middle school youth report binge drinking compared to 24% of high school youth.

The truth is that our youth experience a very different drinking environment than we did when we were growing up. The potency of popular drinks, the quantity and frequency of their drinking, the availability of alcohol and the level of parental supervision all have significantly changed.

Unplanned and unprotected sexual encounters, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV, car crashes, suicide, school expulsion and poor grades are all highly correlated to alcohol consumption by our youth. And then there is 15 - 5 - 21!

Peer and media influences are especially predominant for our youth. There are also significant parental and family influences. These can include a family history of alcohol dependence, siblings use of alcohol, favorable attitudes toward drinking, easy access to alcohol at home as well as a lack of parental support, monitoring, discipline and most importantly, communication.

What we as parents can do now:

  • Establish a clear "no use" message for your underage children and youth.
  • Talk to your children about alcohol and other drugs.
  • If you think your child is drinking, they probably are - address it now.
  • Limit alcohol at your own parties - kids are watching.
  • Set rules - voice them and follow them.
  • Curfews work - enforce them.
  • Know where your kids are.
  • Refuse to provide alcohol or allow individuals under 21 to drink alcohol in your home.
  • Secure and monitor any alcohol you may have in your home.

15 - 5 - 21 is one of the best reasons to establish and maintain a "no use" policy. A youth who begins drinking at age 15 is 5 times more likely to become alcohol dependent than if they waited to begin drinking until the legal age of 21.