A group of local high school students upset over the alcohol
industry’s marketing practices wants to get the community involved
in the campaign to end underage drinking.
Morgan Hill – A group of local high school students upset over the alcohol industry’s marketing practices wants to get the community involved in the campaign to end underage drinking.
On Monday, the youth advocates with the Community Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership held a press conference at Sobrato High School to raise awareness on teen drinking and announce April as “Alcohol Awareness Month” in Morgan Hill. The South County Collaborative, a consortium of human service providers, organized the partnership 18 months ago.
The group is using a postcard campaign to support proposed laws in Sacramento against underage drinking. Additionally, the students plan to produce a video on substance abuse in Morgan Hill to educate their peers.
To emphasize the problem persists locally, the students on Monday released results from a survey of 150 kids that shows 85 percent have tried drinking at some point.
“I think we all knew that kids were drinking at our high schools but to finally get a number on that … it was interesting to see the statistic,” said 16-year-old Joey Edgar of Morgan Hill, one of the youth advocates for the Community Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership. “Eighty-five percent … that’s a pretty big number.”
Participants in the survey are Morgan Hill Unified School District students ages 14 to 19.
“I’ve had friends who have been affected by alcohol abuse … most people don’t know how it affects them not only at the moment but in the future,” said 15-year-old Hannah Jones. “What got me interested personally (in the issue) was to make people aware. This problem is right in front of us.”
According to the survey, 75 percent of respondents who currently use alcohol said they started by age 14. Some reported starting as early as age 7. Many said they could obtain alcohol from friends, parents, family members or strangers at liquor stores and gas stations.
While the survey may not scientifically reflect the scope of the problem in Morgan Hill, it’s an indication of the long-running issue’s relevance among young people today.
“Some teens think they can’t have fun without getting drunk,” Jones said. “They aren’t comfortable in their own skin. They think that the person they become is a better version of themselves … that people like them better.”
The postcard campaign – part of a state-wide effort – asks legislators to pass Assembly bills 345 and 346.
A.B. 345, introduced by Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, D-San Diego, is aimed at reducing harm to minors caused by sweet-tasting beverages such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade that critics call “alcopops.” The drinks are especially popular with teenage girls. The bill would allocate $50 million in tax revenue from the sale of such beverages to programs dedicated to preventing underage drinking.
A.B. 346, introduced by Assemblyman Jim Beall, D-San Jose, would require alcohol-spiked “energy drinks,” pre-packaged “jello-shots” and other intoxicating products with youth appeal to display a label that states, “Warning: Contains Alcohol.” Additionally, the bill would prohibit stores from keeping the beverages in refrigerators next to sodas, juices and other drinks kids usually buy.
In November, Santa Clara County made waves when it filed a lawsuit against the state’s tax commission to increase taxes of flavored alcoholic beverages that are increasingly popular with underage drinkers.
As a result of the lawsuit and pressure from youth advocates, the California State Board of Equalization, which sets taxes on alcoholic beverages, will hold its next public meeting in May as part of a rule-making process to reclassify “alcopops” as distilled spirits.
