Grade school kids need early
alcohol-use prevention
When it comes to preventing underage alcohol use, research suggests that early education
is best.
A recent study that surveyed 4,150 sixth-graders from Chicago-area schools suggests that primary prevention programs for alcohol use should occur prior to the sixth grade, particularly for youth identified at high risk for early use. The study found that 17.2 percent of the sixth-graders surveyed had used alcohol in the previous year. The alcohol user group scored high in nearly every at-risk factor that was measured. The study, led by researchers from the University of Minnesota, concluded that prevention efforts need to begin early--by at least fourth grade--in order to address those at risk and to promote protective factors against alcohol use.
What's more, we know that early-onset drinking is a strong predictor of alcoholism or alcohol abuse later in life, according to several studies. A 2006 study by the Boston University School of Public Health and Youth Alcohol Prevention Center found that among those who started drinking before age 14, 47 percent became alcoholics at some point in their lives, compared with 9 percent for people who waited until age 21 or later to begin drinking. The earlier one drinks, the greater the chance of alcohol-use problems.
In addition, underage drinking is linked to an increased risk of alcohol-related injuries and suicides, risky sexual behavior, physical fights, tobacco use, illegal drug use, and other delinquent behavior.
Alcohol is the No. 1 drug of choice for young people and adults. Yet, as the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes, youth and adults are not equal when it comes to alcohol use. For one thing, adolescents need only drink half as much to suffer the same negative effects that alcohol has on adults. The brain goes through dynamic changes during adolescence, and alcohol can seriously damage long- and short-term growth processes. Frontal lobe development and the refinement of pathways and connections continue into the middle 20s. Damage from alcohol at this time can be long-term and irreversible.
Until recently, school prevention curricula did not take brain development into account and presented the dangers of alcohol use as if they pertained equally to adults and children. To fill this void, the non-profit Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) developed "Protecting You/Protecting Me" (PY/PM), an alcohol-use prevention program for grades 1-5 that can be integrated into a school's core curriculum. The lessons in PY/PM cover a variety of life skills, including media awareness, communication, and vehicle safety. PY/PM teaches children how to stay safe if riding in a car with an impaired driver, specific ways to handle unsafe situations, ways to resist peer pressure, how rules and laws protect us, and how to talk to parents and other adults.
"'Protecting You/Protecting Me' is one of the most effective curricula I have ever taught," said Brenda Taylor-Hines, a primary trainer for PY/PM. "The information is integrated into the lessons for students and includes opportunities for parents or family caregivers to become informed and involved. People listen when they hear the curriculum is research based and focuses on alcohol and the developing brain. People listen when they hear how alcohol affects adolescents differently than adults."
PY/PM's interactive and effective teaching processes include role-play, small group and classroom discussion, reading, writing, storytelling, surveys, art, and music. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has named PY/PM a model program, which means it has been scientifically tested to demonstrate its effectiveness. The National Association of Elementary School Principals, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Medical Association have also endorsed the program. Since 2004, MADD has trained close to 1,000 school personnel in over 100 schools. In New Mexico, for example, close to 25,000 children have benefited from PY/PM.
When underage alcohol use is prevented, the entire community benefits from a decrease in vandalism, theft, traffic accidents and violence. Students who don't drink alcohol enjoy a greater degree of mental and physical health, attend school more regularly, and do better academically. "It's so important to reach kids before they start making choices about alcohol use," said Taylor-Hines. "My hope is that we will be able to provide PY/PM to every school district in the United States, because people will recognize the benefits it will have on our future generations."
For more information on "Protecting You/Protecting Me," visit www.hazelden.org/pypm.
