Youth Alcohol Use

An Ever-present Public Health Challenge

by Anita Miller, Community Prevention Partnership of Berks County

DO YOU KNOW THAT ALCOHOL CONTINUES TO BE THE MOST WIDELY USED SUBSTANCE AMONG YOUTH, ON BOTH A NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL?

Statewide, 32.3% of 8th grade students who responded to the 2019 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) reported having consumed alcohol. In Berks County, numbers were slightly higher, at 35.1%. For 12th grade PAYS respondents, those figures were nearly doubled, with 63% statewide and 64% for Berks County.

PAYS also asks students about their 30-day use of alcohol. In 2019, 30.4% of Berks County 12th graders and 10.3% of 8th graders reported drinking in the last 30 days. These figures are slightly higher than those reported nationally by Monitoring the Future, which found that 7.9% of 8th grade students and 29.3% of 12th grade students reported consuming alcohol in the past month.

Binge drinking, defined as having five or more drinks in a row, remains a key concern, even for students as young as age 13. Again the numbers reported by Monitoring the Future and PAYS were similar. Nationally 14.4% of 12th grade students and 3.8% of 8th grade students reported binge drinking in the last two weeks, compared to 13.3% and 4.3%, respectively, in Berks County.

EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR PARENTS

When it comes to influencing the behavior of youth, parents remain the most powerful force. Parents can help delay experimentation by talking to their kids early and often about healthy habits and the negative effects of alcohol and other substances. A recommended strategy is to engage kids in a number of short conversations (for example, in the car). Many small talks, with one or two facts at a time over several years, has more impact on values and actions than one long lecture.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association’s (SAMHSA) “Talk. They Hear You” offers a number of resources to help parents converse with children about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs at (https://www.samhsa.gov/talk-they-hear-you/ parent-resources).

SAMHSA suggests the following talking points for parents: • Share personal values and let your kids know you disapprove of underage drinking. • Tell your kids that you care about their health and goals. Explain that alcohol negatively impacts the developing body and brain, which can affect their ability to do what they love and achieve goals. For older youth, discuss legal consequences of underage drinking and how that can affect their ability to drive. • Show them you are a reliable source of truthful information. • Let them know that you pay attention to and care about the things they do. • Help them develop a plan to deal with peer pressure, and role play saying “no thanks.”

PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES

Providing youth with positive, alternative activities, such as substance-free movie nights and dances, offers a means for them to socialize without attending parties that include alcohol. In Berks County, several school districts offer Fifth Quarter events after evening sporting matches, providing safe spaces at the school or other community location, where students can hang out in a healthy environment. Alternative, substancefree activities are especially important on occasions, like New Year’s Eve, when adults traditionally consume alcohol. Youth need an opportunity to celebrate without the temptation to drink alcohol.

EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS

Building on SAMHSA’s research, many evidence-based prevention programs have been developed that have been proven to reduce the prevalence of both underage drinking and other drug use. Two evidence-based programs that are offered by the Council on Chemical Abuse in Berks County include Life Skills Training (LST) and Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP). These programs are designed to reduce the peer and family risk factors that lead to youth substance use. LST is a school-based program offered in middle and high school grade levels. SFP is a community-based program with youth, parent, and family sessions offered over seven weeks. SFP has also been successfully adapted to offer as a virtual program where families can be offered the program in their homes.

INVOLVING YOUTH IN ALCOHOL PREVENTION

It’s important for adults to give youth a voice, and to listen without judgment. Youth are a powerful influence on their peers, and they are not only the “Leaders of Tomorrow,” but the “Leaders of Today.” National groups such as SADD (SADD | Student Organization | Washington, DC) or Aevidum( Aevidum – I’ve got your back) can nurture leadership skills while involving teens in prevention activities. In Berks County, numerous organizations promote youth leadership in prevention, including the Reading School District’s Project Peace, the Olivet Boys and Girls Club’s Berks PRIDE, and the Council on Chemical Abuse’s Teen Prevention Coalition (cocaberks.org).

SOCIAL NORMS CAMPAIGN

A powerful tool that youth can use is to plan a “social norms campaign” that promotes accurate, healthy norms about alcohol use. A social norm is defined as a pattern of behavior that is accepted as normal. When it comes to alcohol use, many young

THE TOP THREE SOURCES OF ALCOHOL IDENTIFIED BY BERKS COUNTY YOUTH IN 6TH THROUGH 12TH GRADE IN THE 2019 PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH SURVEY WERE: • YOUTH TOOK IT WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM HOME

• PARENTS GAVE IT TO THEIR CHILD

• OLDER SIBLINGS OR FRIENDS WHO ARE 21 OR OLDER GAVE IT TO THEM

COALITIONS USE THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES TO REACH THAT GOAL: TO AFFECT COMMUNITY CHANGE

• PROVIDE INFORMATION TO YOUTH AND ADULTS

• ENHANCE SKILLS OF YOUTH AND OTHER

COMMUNITY MEMBERS

• PROVIDE SUPPORT

• ENHANCE ACCESS/REDUCE BARRIERS TO SERVICES

• CHANGE CONSEQUENCES

• CHANGE PHYSICAL DESIGN

• MODIFY OR CHANGE POLICIES

These strategies help limit access to substances, change the culture and context around substance use, and modify the consequences associated with substance use.

people believe that most of their peers drink. The media has long glamorized youth attending parties with copious amounts of alcohol. However, survey data shows that most youth do not share that experience in real life. For example, while one third of Berks 8th grade students have consumed alcohol, two thirds haven’t. Youth can run their own “social norms campaign” to emphasize that drinking is not the norm. We all want to belong, and it can be easier to turn down a drink when teens know most of their peers don’t drink either.

MAKING CHANGES LOCALLY

The Northeast Community Springboard Coalition, in Reading, mobilizes communities to prevent and reduce substance use among youth. The coalition serves the entire Reading community and works to build and strengthen a network of parents, youth, and organizations to look at local data and identify risk and protective factors. They work to make the community a healthier place by addressing local issues that lead to substance use. At the same time, they promote activities that reduce youth use, such as a drug facts Quiz Bowl with parents vs. their middle school youth. The coalition has also provided information on medication safety in the home, along with medication lock boxes and medication disposal pouches for families.

• Data analytics • Reporting solutions • Program evaluation • Consultation Deerfield Data Management, LLC

supports the

Berks SOS Community Coalition

ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE IN BERKS COUNTY PAST 30-DAY AND LIFETIME SUBSTANCE USE

Past 30-DAY AND LIFETIME SUBSTANCE USE BERKS COUNTY 2019 PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH SURVEY BERKS COUNTY 2019 PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH SURVEY

Use in the Past Thirty Days Lifetime Use

15.20%

40.80%

ALCOHOL MARIJUANA CIGARETTES PRESCRIPTION PAIN RELIEVERS HEROIN

8.80%

15.60% 1.80%

7.70% 1.30% 4.20%

Past 30- Day = 0.10% Life time = 0.30%

The Council on Chemical Abuse is able to provide an Opioid Overdose Reversal Kit to all Berks County residents and businesses at no charge. Kits include Narcan® Nasal Spray.

Contact the RISE Center: Call (610) 750-7550 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to coordinate a time to pick up your kit.

Complete an online Narcan® training, at home or at the RISE Center: Visit cocaberks.org/getnarcan for more details and links.

Receive your kit: We will review the contents of the kit with you and take the time to ensure you are comfortable using Narcan® in the event of an overdose.

(610) 750-7550 I cocaberks.org/getnarcan

Recovery. Resiliency. Wellness.

Community Care, a nonprofit recovery-focused behavioral health managed care organization, manages mental health and substance use disorder services for individuals in Berks County’s HealthChoices program. Our goal is to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve.

We offer substance use disorder services for adults, including: • Withdrawal management • Rehabilitation • Medication-assisted treatment • Certified recovery specialists

If you would like more information about services or help with your recovery, call Community Care at 1.866.292.7886.