San Rafael Alcohol Compliance Team (SR ACT) and the Marin County Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) partnered to help bring alcohol awareness into the classrooms of San Rafael High School (SRHS). In the weeks leading up to National Prevention Week: May 18-24, SR ACT and HHS spoke to over 200 SRHS students in 9th and 10th grade. During these presentations, students learned topics such as the affects of alcohol on the teenage brain and how the alcohol industry is targeting them through media, ads, and popular music. SRHS students also had the opportunity to participate in a Question & Answer session with SR ACT police officers on topics such as the Social Host Ordinance and the legal consequences related to underage drinking.
YOUth Learned Their Peers are Drinking Too Early, Too Much, and Too Often
“63% of 11th graders and 45% of 9th graders in the San Rafael City School District report having ever used alcohol.” – California Healthy Kids Survey, 2011
Adolescence is a key period of growth and development, with the brain also changing enormously during this period. Recent research suggests that these changes make the teenage brain more vulnerable to the damaging effects of alcohol, with areas associated with memory and learning particularly affected.
SRHS students were shocked to learn that almost half of the 9th graders in the school district have consumed alcohol. They were particularly alarmed given the new information they learned about the impact alcohol has on the developing brain.
YOUth Felt “Played” by the Alcohol Industry
Ke$ha says that to start the day she'll brush her teeth with a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey. Nicki Minaj likes to "have a drink, have a clink" of Bud Light. And the party-rockin' hip-hop duo LMFAO like Ciroc, and they love Patron. "Shots, shots, shots, shots everybody!"
All that name-checking of alcohol brands encourages teens to drink, researchers say. Teens who liked songs like these were three times as likely to drink, and were twice as likely to binge drink than their peers who didn't like those songs.
There are lucrative deals being made between music artists and particular alcohol brands. For example, rapper Sean Combs is a paid spokesperson for Ciroc vodka. Grey Goose sponsored a 2011 music tour featuring rappers like Lil Jon, while Jack Daniel's sponsored a party celebrating top Nashville singers and songwriters. Many of these brands also sponsor musicians' album release parties and music festivals. For some of these artists, promoting alcohol has become part of their business models. Reversing that trend may be one way to reduce young people's exposure to alcohol in music.
YOUth Found it was Easy to Access Alcohol from Parties
“73% of young people in Marin reported they most often drink alcohol at home with friends, at parties, or at other social events.” –Youth Leadership Institute Youth Access Survey, 2012
Students were surprised to learn from the SRPD’s SR ACT team that if they hosted a party with alcohol at their house they could get a hefty Social Host Ordinance (SHO) fine & have their driver’s license suspended. They also were startled to know their parents could receive a SHO citation even if they did not know the party was even happening.
Drinking and driving is a serious problem all year long. The San Rafael Police Department, the San Rafael Alcohol Compliance Team, and other Marin law enforcement agencies & community coalitions are dedicated to a variety of activities aimed at reducing the number of DUI related tragedies. Be sure to check out these links for more information and resources to stay safe and informed:
The Healthy Novato Project
The Mill Valley Healthy Living Community Coalition
The Novato Blue Ribbon Coalition for Youth
The San Rafael Alcohol and Drug Coalition
The San Rafael Alcohol Compliance Team
The Twin Cities Coalition for Healthy Youth
The Youth Leadership Institute
The West Marin Community Coalition
Learn more about the San Rafael Social Host Ordinance
English - http://www.scribd.com/doc/180037937/FINAL-ACT-palm-card-pdf
Spanish - http://www.scribd.com/doc/189075792/ACT-Palm-Card-en-Espanol-in-Spanish
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You can learn more about what we are doing and how you can get involved by contacting Kristen Law at the Marin County Prevention Hub.
The San Rafael Alcohol Compliance Team (ACT) has been created through a partnership with the San Rafael Police Department and the Marin County Department of Health & Human Services to reduce underage and excessive drinking in youth ages 12 – 25.
