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State looks to adults to help curb teen drinking

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PHOENIX — Alarmed at the high number of teen drinkers, state officials launched a new prevention effort Monday with a different focus: Persuade adults not to provide alcohol to those under 21 or ignore the fact that kids are drinking.

The "Draw the Line" campaign comes a year after a statewide survey showed three- quarters of all high school seniors reported having a drink — nearly half of them in the previous month.

The problem actually starts much earlier. One-fourth of all eighth-graders said they'd had a drink in the past 30 days.

Gov. Janet Napolitano says she knows where at least some of the blame lies.

"Nearly half of Arizona adults believe it is OK for youth to drink alcohol under parental or adult supervision," she said.

The governor said state-funded programs aimed at convincing teens they shouldn't drink already exist, and will continue. But the numbers prove more is needed, she said.

This campaign, Napolitano said, will educate adults about the health concerns and the legal implications of allowing — or even just tolerating — alcohol use by those under 21.

"Underage drinking is not a rite of passage," she said. "It is not safe for children. It is against the law."

But a survey conducted last year for the Arizona Parents Commission on Drug Education and Prevention found a significant minority of Arizonans age 18 and older disagree.

A third of those questioned said underage drinking was acceptable under parental supervision. And nearly as many said there is nothing wrong with providing alcohol to someone younger than 21 at a special occasion or as a rite of passage.

Much of the $900,000 campaign is designed to get parents to talk with their children.

"Research suggests that parental disapproval is a key reason why some youths choose not to drink until they're 21," said Andres Cano, a student at City High School in Tucson. But Cano, a member of the Governor's Youth Commission, said most high school students say their parents never discuss the subject with them.

Napolitano said the message goes beyond telling parents to talk to their teens about drinking. "Don't provide the 'kegger' in the back yard at graduation or other times," she said.

"Don't think that just because you're supervising the drinking, the drinking is OK," Napolitano continued. "It quickly migrates into unsupervised drinking, and unsupervised drinking can resolve into pattern drinking and behavior that really is an opening portal for other kinds of substance- abuse problems."

State law generally makes it illegal to give or sell alcohol to anyone younger than 21. Violators are subject to up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

But adults can provide alcohol to members of their immediate family. There also are exceptions when alcohol is used for religious purposes or in medicine.

One element of the campaign provides a link where parents can send prewritten text messages to their children. Options include "Hope UR having fun. Stay smart. Luv u," "Remember Good Judgment" and "If u need me — call me."