Find Out More, Do More!

 

Did you know?

• Kids who drink alcohol before they turn 15 are 4 times as likely to develop a dependency to alcohol than those who wait until they are 21.
• Research shows the brain is not fully matured until the mid-twenties. And, even one alcoholic drink can reduce brain function in teens.

Parents can make a difference!

Maine teens who do not think they will be caught by their parents are nearly 5 times as likely to use alcohol compared to those who think they will get caught. Unfortunately, most Maine teens believe their parents won’t find out if they drink and recent data supports these perceptions.
Not all kids in Maine drink, yet because they live in an environment that heavily promotes and enables alcohol use, all teens are at risk.

• A 2008 statewide survey reported that 48.8% of Maine students in grades seven through 12 have tried alcohol.
• In addition, 28.2% of the teens said they drank within one month of the survey, and 14.0% reported binge drinking (five or more alcoholic beverages in a row) within two weeks of the study.
• More importantly, 49.2% of teens don't believe their parents would find out if they were drinking.
• According to the survey results, they're probably right. Only 21% of Maine parents believe their teen has tried alcohol.

5 Monitoring Tips for Parents to Prevent Underage Drinking!