With prom season and graduation upon us thoughts turn to the dangers of underage drinking and driving. The Portland Papers’ recent series about underage drinking on Maine college campuses underscores the importance of dealing with this problem. Underage drinking of alcohol has been an issue for decades, and it appears to be getting worse. The dilemma extends into our middle schools and in some cases into elementary schools. Studies show that those teens that binge drink at an early age are more apt to become alcoholics. We all know about the societal problems that arise from alcoholism. We know that drunk drivers kill people on the highways.

Some communities such as Nobleboro and Cumberland are identifying under age drinking as a community problem. Their initiatives are based on the premise that societal attitudes and behaviors must change. But they are up against the old adages such as: “boys will be boys” or “it’s a right of passage.” Other obstacles are the students’ parents. Some parents are willing to allow teens to drink in their homes, because they feel that the kids will do it any way. Other parents leave alcohol in places that are easily accessed by teens. Although it is difficult to fathom, many parents leave their kids home alone for extended periods of time, which results in an open invitation to all the partiers in town.
The other big community concern is the supplier. Most stores do not sell alcohol to minors and are diligent about carding young people. However, older friends frequently buy alcohol for younger kids, who in turn share with their friends and the opportunity to access alcohol spirals downward. Students respond to the question of underage drinking philosophically by saying that kids will always find ways to find alcohol and share it with their friends.

But how do we effectively address illegal, destructive behavior that has become so mainstream that efforts to enforce consequences are often met with resistance from parents? Do these parents truly understand the potential impact of alcohol on their child’s life? Public service announcements encourage parents to talk to their kids, to wait up for them when they have been out, and to know their friends. The commercials need to go one step further. Parents need be acquainted with their kids’ friends’ parents. Much can be learned about child rearing by a casual conversation – parent to parent. Coalitions between parents can be powerful tools in keeping kids safe, but if those parents do not pass muster, we must think twice before we let them influence our children.

Kids need clear expectations, and despite their protestations they really do want us to talk to them. To be effective conversations about risky behavior need to begin when kids are little. Waiting until they are in college is too little too late.