Franklin County Caring Communities

Movies ‘linked to youth drinking’
Source: UKPA
Feb 21st
Youngsters aged 10 to 14 who watch a lot of movies featuring alcohol are twice as likely to drink, according to new research.

Experts questioned more than 6,500 youngsters four times, asking in each session whether they had seen any of 50 films selected at random. The teenagers were also asked in each survey if they had ever drunk alcohol behind their parents’ back and at what point they started binge-drinking (having five or more drinks in a row). The films were then analysed for alcohol use, defined as a character’s actual or implied consumption or the purchase of alcohol.

The study, published in the journal BMJ Open, found that youngsters had typically seen around 4.5 hours of on-screen alcohol use and many had seen more than eight hours. It also looked at the impact of parental drinking and children owning merchandise carrying alcohol brands. Some 11% of the teenagers said they owned branded merchandise, such as a T-shirt or hat with the name of a beer on it. Almost one in four (23%) said their parents drank alcohol at least once a week at home, while 29% said they were able to get hold of alcohol at home.

Over the course of the surveys, which were spread over two years, the proportion of teens who started drinking alcohol more than doubled from 11% to 25%, while the proportion who began binge-drinking more than tripled from 4% to 13%.
Parents who drank at home and availability of alcohol in the home were linked with youngsters taking up drinking, but not progression to binge-drinking. Exposure to alcohol in movies, owning branded merchandise, having friends who drank and rebelliousness were associated with both.

The results showed that children who watched the most films featuring alcohol were just over twice as likely to have drunk alcohol and 63% more likely to have made the transition to binge-drinking than those who watched few such films.
A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said: “Alcohol in films is an issue that is covered in the classification guidelines used by the British Board of Film Classification, and the promotion or glamorisation of drinking is something that is taken into account in classification decisions.”

The Franklin County START wants to STOP underage and high-risk drinking among young people in Franklin County.

Underage drinking refers to drinking by anyone under the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) of 21.

High-risk drinking refers to youthful drinking, drinking too much (bingeing, or consuming 5 or more alcoholic drinks if you’re a guy, 4 or more drinks if you’re a girl, in one evening), drinking and driving, and drinking and using other drugs at the same time.

Why START? Check out these facts about underage drinking in Franklin County:

• 34% – 1 in 3 – high school students reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days.
• 20%, or 1 in 5, high school students reported binge drinking in the past 30 days.
• Of those who drank, 44% say they drank hard liquor.
• 47% of kids who report drinking – almost half - say that somone gave it to them; 29% gave someone money to buy it for them; 17% said they got it or stole it from home (and that % increases the younger the teen)
• A whopping 73% of Franklin County high schoolers, whether they drink or not, think it would be easy to get alcohol in Franklin County. That means that 3 out of 4 students believe they could lay their hands on some alcohol
• Some kids start young: 24% of middle schoolers (6-8) reported having had a drink (more than a few sips).    All data from the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Franklin County Edition.

 START wants to stop teen drinking before it happens and interrupt it when it does happen. If you are concerned about parties or events where underage drinking is planned or ongoing, or if you know that someone is serving or selling to minors, please report your concerns to a START affiliate in your area:

Franklin County Stop Teen Alcohol Risk Team:

Vermont State Police: 524-5993 *  FC Sheriff: 524-2121 * St. Albans PD: 524-2166  * Swanton PD: 868-4100 * Franklin County Caring Communities: 527-5049 * Franklin County Court Diversion: 527-5560

You can also contact our partner, Vermont Department of Liquor Control, at 802 828-1031 if you have concerns about specific alcohol outlets serving or selling to minors.

SAFE HOMES Parent Network Keeps Youth SAFE   Franklin County Caring Communities and Rural Partnerships invite all parents and guardians of kids and teens to join the SAFE HOME Parent Network of Franklin County.

The Franklin County SAFE HOMES Parent Network program is based on the national SAFE HOMES substance abuse prevention program developed by parents to support parents. The program has been very successful in reducing youth alcohol and substance use in communities throughout the United States by  connecting parents with resources, ideas, and other parents.

Why SAFE HOMES Parent Network?
Our youth face intense societal pressure to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Many young people want to be part of a social “party” scene that is portrayed as glamorous, normal, and a “rite of passage” to adulthood. Family is still the single most powerful influence in a child’s life, and teens tell us that when parents set expectations and enforce boundaries, it helps teens make good decisions and steer clear of dangerous situations.

Are Alcohol and Drugs Really a Problem? The good news is that underage alcohol use has actually dropped significantly between 2o01 and 2011 in Franklin County, but drugs and alcohol are still available, used by kids, and dangerous. About 1 in 5 high-schoolers started drinking before age 13. About 1 in 3 currently drink, more than 1 in 5 smoke marijuana, and 1 in 10 have used a prescription pain reliever without a prescription.

Teen brains are still developing; alcohol and other drugs negatively affect brain development, social wellbeing and academic success.  As parents, let’s take a strong and visible stand and help kids make safe and healthy choices about alcohol and other drug use.

SAFE HOMES Parent Network is designed to:

• Protect the safety of youth by educating parents about the impact of adolescent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.
• Help parents establish a clear “NO USE” of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs message to their children.
• Encourage parents to openly communicate with one another about parenting concerns.
• Assist parents in establishing reasonable guidelines for their children’s behavior.
• Make parents aware of alternative activities for Franklin County youth.
• Provide a continuing support network for both Franklin County parents and youth.

SAFE HOMES Parent Network Process

1. Parents complete their registration, either online or by downloading and printing and returning the SPHN Registration survey.
2. Registration information is entered into the Franklin County SAFE HOMES Parent Network Directory. This directory is available online and in print to members only. (Members can choose to publish only their name and town, or even remain anonymous –name and/or contact information not published in the directory –when they register.)
3. Parents use the directory information to call each other to make sure their children are supervised at each other’s homes; that families do not allow alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in their homes; and that families follow the same guidelines for youth safety when hosting other youth at their home. Parents who register will be given a password to access the online directory.
4. We know that parents have real influence over their children, and that by setting a family policy around alcohol and other drug use and holding their expectations high, they can have an impact on their children’s choices. By joining with other parents for support, they can change community norms.

Are you interested in joining the Safe Home Parent Network? Contact beth@fcccp.org  link to our online registration at www.surveymonkey.com/s/safehomesfc  to get on board or complete the registration survey in print form and return it to:

SHPN
c/0 Franklin County Caring Communities, 67 Fairfield Street, St. Albans, VT 05478
or by fax to 802 524-3952.

Safe Homes Parent/Guardian Commitment

• I will actively supervise all gatherings of youth in our home or on our property, or ask another responsible adult for help to do so.
• I will not allow the possession of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs by youth in our home or on our property.
• I will set expectations for my children by knowing where they are going, whom they are with, what they are doing, and when they are to return home.
   and
  (optional)
• I will welcome phone calls or emails about activities taking place in my home and on my property.

The registration survey is attached. You may choose the level of privacy that meets your needs (that is, you can choose to list no identifying information, only your name and town but not your contact information, or your name, town, and contact information). We hope you will consider becoming a “fully transparent” member so that you and other parents can participate in the benefits of being fully networked. Your information will be shared with other network members ONLY.