Youth Services

PRESS RELEASE:  May 30, 2010

Community Unites to Send Message About Underage Drinking

When adults give alcohol to teens on their property, those adults can face fines of up to $2,000 and two years of jail time for each underage individual caught drinking.  Even when adults do not provide the alcohol, if they are aware that underage drinking is occurring on their property, they can still be held responsible.

This spring and summer, the Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition is bringing the Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking public awareness campaign to Windham Southeast to provide parents with accurate information about the health risks of underage drinking and the legal consequences of providing alcohol to youth. The campaign message focuses on prom and graduation parties, and is a program of Drug-Free Action Alliance.

According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2009, 68% of Windham County teens surveyed reported that it was easy to get alcohol.  Among students who reported drinking in the last 30 days, 88% either got or stole their alcohol from home, gave someone money to buy it for them, or someone gave it to them.  Most underage youth who drink are getting their alcohol from adults who buy it legally – parents, siblings, friends, relatives, and home liquor cabinets.

“Scientific research shows the serious and damaging effects of alcohol on the developing brain of youth under the age of 21,” says Beth Shrader, Director of Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition. “This campaign educates parents about the laws and safety risks involved in underage drinking parties, and encourages a unified message that teen alcohol consumption is unhealthy, unsafe and unacceptable.”

The Parents Who Host, Lose the Most campaign complements an ongoing statewide campaign to educate parents, called “Parent Up VT.”  The Greater Falls Prevention Coalition in Bellows Falls, the Deerfield Valley Community Partnership and the Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition, in partnership with the Vermont Department of Health, has reached out to parents of middle and high school students in an effort to reduce underage drinking. Parents are encouraged to talk with their teen and set clear rules and consequences, limit their teen's access to alcohol and refuse to host underage drinking parties. The campaign is supported by a comprehensive website, www.parentupvt.org, where parents can find a wide range of helpful information, including community support resources and tips on how to connect with their kids on this important subject. By raising awareness and providing tools and information, we empower parents to talk to their children about the dangers of underage drinking and to refuse to provide alcohol to minors. Parent Up will continue through the fall.

For more information about underage drinking and these campaigns, visit the Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition website at www.BrattleboroAreaPreventionCoalition.org or call 802.257.2175.