Game Time Marketing Bigger Influence on Youth Then Athletes

New research suggests that the various types of marketing that appear on television, billboards, etc. during sports games are more likely to influence the way youths behave then the actual behavior of athletes. The large amount of alcohol advertising that takes place at sporting events and on television is encouraging youth to drink. It appears stories of athletes wild nights out, on the other hand, don’t affect teenagers’ decisions to drink at any significant level.

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Underage Drinking: Will the U.S. Find a Solution?

Underage drinking has been considered a problem in this country for much longer than I’ve been alive, but the problem seems to have intensified in the last 5-10 years. This is in part due to increased awareness of the tragedies that happen when teenagers who were poorly educated about the dangers involved in drinking or using drugs.

The debate for parents of teenagers is a difficult one–do you strictly prohibit drinking or promote doing so in moderation and while making safe decisions? Do you allow your children to have a glass of wine or beer in your home, or not allow any alcohol what-so-ever?

One recent article tells the story of a mother who told her son not to drink, but also told him that if he did drink he absolutely shouldn’t drive. He died of alcohol poisoning with a BAC of .41 at age 18, shortly after graduating high school and moving out with a friend, when friends convinced him to chug rum. His mother has told her younger son that she doesn’t want him to drink until he is 21, and to the best of her knowledge he hasn’t.

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Supporting Safe Spring Breaks

It’s the time of year when both high school and college students are breathing a sigh of relief and head out on spring break. Some will stay home, others will go on family vacations, and many will travel with a group of friends. Each one of these groups is at risk for alcohol abuse during this time of year.

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