Skykomish address underage drug, alcohol use

By Stacey McGrath-á

Starting out as the new intervention and prevention specialist at Skykomish School earlier this spring, I knew that I would face new challenges. I wondered to myself, "What has changed (drug-and-alcohol wise) now from the time I was in school? What sorts of challenges and pressures were my students facing?GÇ¥ Then it hit me: the avenues by which advertisers reach their audience and the prevalence of social media have grown drastically.

Growing up in the early "80s, we usually only had one computer per classroom, and smartphones hadn't even been conceptualized.-á

In this day and age, teens have unlimited access to media of all sources. Through these outlets, underage youth are increasingly exposed to the idea of drinking. Not only has the portrayal of alcohol use in media become progressively more common, it is most often depicted as a fun and glamorous thing.-á

Instead of showing the negative aspects of drinking, such as social issues, family problems and a wide array of health concerns, shows like "Jersey ShoreGÇ¥ and "The Real WorldGÇ¥ make light of alcohol abuse and normalize excessive use. In the popular teen movie "Superbad,GÇ¥ a group of friends devise a plan to steal alcohol for a party to impress girls, sending the message that if you drink, you will automatically be "coolGÇ¥ and people will like you.

On top of our "typicalGÇ¥ advertising via television, magazines and music, today's teens have nearly unlimited access to the Internet. When I looked into advertising on popular social media sites such as Twitter, Youtube and Facebook, I was shocked. According to Medical Daily, the top 10 most popular brands of alcohol have accumulated upward of 16 million followers on Facebook. These fans, on the top 10 sites alone, are worth an estimated $60 million annually to advertisers.

The sobering truth is that as advertising for alcohol use increases, so does the amount and frequency of use in teens. A 2006 John Hopkins University study found that for "each additional ad a young person saw (above the monthly youth average of 23) he or she drank 1 percent more.GÇ¥ Even more shocking, in three out of five of the leading causes of death in teenagers, alcohol was found to be a major contributing factor, according to the National Institutes of Health. If alcohol exposure is a proven contributor to underage drinking, then shouldn't alcohol advertising be something we regulate, just like any other major health concern?

As we acknowledge underage drinking as a problem, the question of "what can we do?GÇ¥ arises. Sadly, drugs and alcohol will most likely always be present. By educating youth of the risks and harmful effects that come with drug and alcohol use and empowering them to make wise choices, we can hopefully prevent and decrease underage use, encouraging healthy habits and fostering a healthy sense of community among our teens.-á

The Skykomish Drug and Alcohol Prevention Team meets weekly at Skykomish School (105 N. Sixth St., Skykomish). For questions, more information or to make a donation please contact Stacey McGrath at smcgrath@skykomish.wednet.edu or call 360-677-2623, Ext. 122.-á

Stacey McGrath is the Prevention and Intervention Specialist at Skykomish School District.