Kids and Parents Alike Believe Alcohol Will be Available at the Parties they will Attend During the Upcoming School Year

8/29/2002

From: Courtney Means of The Century Council, 202-637-0077

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 -- Results of a national survey released today reveal that when asked "Looking ahead to the upcoming school year, do you think alcoholic beverages will be available at parties?", 60 percent of youth, ages 13-18, reported that they believe it will be available whereas 51 percent of parents surveyed said that they believe alcoholic beverages will be available at parties during the upcoming school year. The Century Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by America's leading distillers and dedicated to fighting underage drinking, commissioned the surveys to increase awareness and as a reminder of the importance of opening communication lines between youth and parents about the dangers of underage drinking. The Council commissioned two national omnibus surveys of children aged 13-18 and parents of children aged 13-18 years old. The teen survey was conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU). The adult survey was conducted by Wirthlin Worldwide.

Youth aged 13 to 18 years old were asked "Looking ahead to the upcoming school year, do you think alcoholic beverages will be available at the parties you and your friends attend?" and parents of 13 to 18 year olds were asked "Looking ahead to the upcoming school year, do you think alcoholic beverages will be available at the parties your thirteen to eighteen year old child or children attend?" The results demonstrate a small but important awareness gap in the teens and parents who believe alcohol will be available at parties during the upcoming school year.

The perception of the availability of alcohol among today's youth increases proportionally with age. Only 47 percent of youth aged 13-15 believed alcohol would be available, however, the number jumps significantly to 73 percent among youth aged 16-18.

Likewise, parents' perception of the availability of alcohol increases proportionally with the age of their son and/or daughter's age. However, the biggest disparity is in the perception of teens aged 16-18 and parents of teens aged 16-18. Only 57 percent of parents of 16 to 18 year olds believe alcohol will be available at the parties whereas 73 percent of 16 to 18 year olds believe it will be available at the parties they will attend.

Additionally, females aged 13-18 are significantly more likely than males to report that they believe alcohol will be available at the parties they and their friends will attend this coming school year.

"The significant percentage of youths age 13-18 and parents reporting that they perceive alcohol to be available at the parties in the upcoming school year emphasizes the importance of open communication between parents and youth in keeping our kids alcohol free. Incredibly, these results suggest that now more than ever, particularly among our high school aged youth, we need to redouble our efforts to engage in the critical dialogue about the dangers of underage drinking," said Susan Molinari, Chair, The Century Council.

"The bottom line is that parents remain the most powerful influence in our children's lives. Staying involved and aware is the best way to keep our children alcohol free and The Century Council's survey results reinforce the need to reinvigorate these conversations," said David S. Anderson, Ph.D., associate professor and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Public Health at George Mason University.

"The Century Council has been committed to preventing underage drinking since its inception over ten years ago. According to the 2001-02 Pride Survey, among all students in grades 6 to 12, annual reported use of any alcohol product (beer, wine cooler, liquor) decreased from 52.1percent in the 2000-01 school year to 50.4 percent in the current school year. This is the smallest percent of students who tried a form of alcohol at least once in the past year since 1987-88. It is encouraging that the number has gone down, though we believe that far too many students are drinking under the age of 21 and these surveys are a first step in our efforts to improve and revamp our educational programs for students and their parents," said Molinari.

The Century Council, launched in 1991 and funded by America's leading distillers, promotes responsible decision-making regarding beverage alcohol and fights alcohol abuse, focusing on drunk driving and underage drinking. The Century Council is headquartered in Washington, DC and is chaired by The Honorable Susan Molinari. An independent Advisory Board made up of distinguished leaders in business, government, education, medicine and other relevant disciplines assists the Council in development of programs and policies. For more information on The Century Council's survey results or educational programs, log onto www.centurycouncil.org.

The Century Council is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and illegal underage drinking. Founded in 1991, the Council is funded by America's leading distillers. For more information on the Council and its mission, please log onto www.centurycouncil.org.