Parents who Host campaign aims to curb underage drinking this graduation season

It's the party season for high school students as junior-senior proms and graduations bring celebrations well into summer.

And after two years of social distancing due to COVID-19, many young people are eager to enjoy worry-free fun with friends and family as they look forward to a bright future.

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With the fun comes cautionary reminders to avoid underage drinking, which can quickly alter the happiest of plans.

Prevention campaign: Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Annual campaigns, such as Parents who Host Lose the Most, aim to curb alcohol consumption by minors and save lives and futures.

The national media campaign designed by Prevention Action Alliance features targeted messaging on posters, stickers and yard signs cautioning parents who host underage parties not to provide alcohol to people under the age of 21.

For more than 15 years, the Turning Point Coalition has adopted the campaign in Wayne County to educate parents about the dangers of alcohol consumption in young adults.

“In the past years we have done mailings and commercials," said Nonya Wenger, Community Coalition manager of OneEighty, an organization that offers prevention, intervention and treatment services. “This year we are doing yard signs, billboards, and our Parent Alert publication."

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The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports 3,674 annual deaths in Ohio are due to excessive alcohol consumption, and roughly 3.5% are people under the age of 21.

Wenger said the coalition runs the campaign every year from the end of April until July, high time for hosting parties for high school students.

“We know that young people do actually listen to their parents and if we can educate parents about the danger physically, we can get students more that way,” she said.

Several Parents who Host Lose the Most yard signs are posted in front of Orrville High School and two billboards carry messages at Orrville Road and at Smucker and Chippewa roads.

Peer pressure can change lives 

As an educator who has been in the field for 35 years, Crestview Local Schools Superintendent Jim Grubbs said he has seen how peer pressure can effect students and sometimes lead to bigger consequences they didn't realize. 

"I don't think they (students) think about the end result and unfortunately ...  I've seen and have lost many students over my years," said Grubbs, whose district serves students in Richland and Ashland counties. "And that's the hardest thing that any parent can ever go through is losing their child. And if we think about the end result, it makes it easier to make those decisions about the pressure." 

Before peer pressure can come into the picture, Grubbs said, it is even more important for adults to be mindful of any alcohol at parties. 

"If we're not monitoring alcohol that's at a party where you're going to have lots of underage students or young adults, they're gonna have a tendency to try to find it (alcohol)," Grubbs said.  "So we need to do the best we can to limit their access as adults." 

Zero tolerance: Legal consequences of underage drinking

Joshua Hunt, senior agent at Medway Drug Enforcement Agency, wrote an article reminding parents of the legal consequences of providing alcohol to young adults.

According to Ohio law, underage consumption or possession of alcohol is classified as a first-degree misdemeanor and adults can be charged with contributing to it.

“A lot of time parents are surprised with the laws associated with underage drinking, adults can be charged a $1,000 fine for every child that is there,” Officer Hunt said.

The risk of consuming alcohol among young adults can involve harming self or others, which leads to further liability on the providers.

Although the number of violations associated with underage drinking is decreasing in Wayne County, Hunt said, it’s important to remind parents each year.

“It's still illegal and something taken very seriously by local law enforcement agencies and especially this time frame there is zero tolerance in any of these types of violations with the local law enforcement,” he said.

Health risks associated with underage drinking pose another concern.

“Everybody has seen the don’t drink and drive; everybody has seen it’s against the law. But the approach of keeping our community healthy is new and it has a different effect on folks as we talk about evidence,” Wenger said.

Recent studies show that consuming alcohol affects a young person's brain development as well as increases the chances of having substance usage disorder later in life.

Dr. Todd McMillen, a pediatrician at Akron Children's Hospital Pediatrics in Wooster, explained in an email the issues associated with alcohol consumption among teens.

“Adolescents many times ask why the drinking age is 21, and this is my answer,” he wrote. “I do think brain development is an important issue to discuss. Because brain development continues into the early 20s, evidence supports that alcohol use and abuse prior to 21 can have negative effects on the developing brain. In addition, alcohol use prior to age 21 has been shown to increase the risk for alcohol abuse and alcoholism later in life.”

McMillen said alcohol use can contribute to a tendency to have high-risk behavior, which leads to poor outcomes. Driving under the influence and high-risk sexual behavior are at the top of the list.

The Akron Children's Wooster office offers screening for alcohol and drug use or abuse during teenagers’ check-ups.

“This is a good way for us to start the conversation. As a parent, it can be an uncomfortable conversation; but I believe that teenagers appreciate parents' willingness to show they care enough to have this difficult talk,” McMillen said.

The Daily Record reporter Rachel Karas contributed to this story.