Local agencies host forum on teen drinking
The 2008 BC Adolescent Health Survey conducted by the McCreary Centre Society found that while early teenage drinking is decreasing, binge drinking is a high-risk behaviour for teens who try alcohol.
Email
Print
Letter to Editor
Share
It’s easy to overlook teen drinking, local police and agencies say, but the evidence suggests parents and community should pay closer attention to youth and alcohol use.
“Alcohol does create a lot of social issues,” said RCMP Const. Marlene Morton. “It’s linked to violence and accidents . . . it’s not the benign substance that people often treat it as.”
The 2008 BC Adolescent Health Survey conducted by the McCreary Centre Society found that while early teenage drinking is decreasing, binge drinking is a high-risk behaviour for teens who try alcohol.
Since 1998, of the surveyed youth who admit to trying alcohol, nearly half report binge drinking in the past month.
“You can’t underestimate the role that alcohol plays as a gateway drug to other substances and the role that alcohol plays at putting youth at risk,” added WVPD Const. Jeff Palmer. “If you think your child is at risk for drug experimentation you have to believe they’re much more at risk for drug abuse if they’re under the influence of alcohol.”
A series of North Shore focus groups have also shown that alcohol accounts for “some of the main reasons that young people come in contact with the justice system,” said Alana Abramson, executive director of North Shore Restorative Justice Society (NSRJ).
Based on those anecdotal findings, NSRJ and the North Shore Family Court and Youth Justice Committee will host a community forum on teen drinking at Centennial Theatre Nov. 25.
Palmer will join the panel of speakers, including North Van RCMP’s Shannon Kitchen and representatives from Vancouver Coastal Health, Bowman Services and the McCreary Society.
Abramson said a young woman will speak about her experiences with alcohol addiction.
Abramson also said she hopes both parents and teens will attend the forum.
“We really wanted to acknowledge that it’s (teen drinking) not only a youth issue, it’s a family issue and a community issue,” she said.
Youth, Families and Alcohol: A Community Conversation runs 7-9 p.m. at Centennial Theatre (2300 Lonsdale Ave., North Van), Nov. 25. Admission is free.
kmcmanus@northshoreoutlook.com
