Keeping kids alcohol-free

By LYNNETTE HINTZE

Coalition makes progress addressing underage drinking

The Daily Inter Lake

The conversation focuses on a party busted at Bootjack Lake the night before, then turns to a 13-year-old Ferndale girl hospitalized earlier in the week for severe alcohol poisoning. Someone mentions a Eureka 17-year-old with nine minor-in-possession violations.

At meetings of the Stop Underage Drinking in the Flathead Coalition, the subject is always the same: Finding ways to prevent and reduce underage drinking.

Coalition members know it's a tall task. Montana ranks No. 1 in the nation for binge drinking among 12- to 17-year-olds, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The coalition began 2 1/2 years ago when a group of prevention specialists got together to address the problems of underage alcohol use in the Flathead. After a mix of law-enforcement officers, prevention specialists and community leaders attended the National Leadership Conference on Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws, the group devised a three-pronged mission:

. Reduce the availability of alcohol to youth;

. Change community social norms by reinforcing the message that underage alcohol use is unacceptable;

. Improve the effectiveness of law enforcement in enforcing underage drinking laws.

IT'S DIFFICULT to measure progress in the first year or two, said Flathead County Sheriff's Det. Travis Bruyer, who is the Alcohol Enforcement Team coordinator. But there are tangible signs of progress.

Law-enforcement agencies have stepped up compliance checks at the 285 businesses that serve or sell alcohol in the county.

"We have about 75 percent compliance now," Bruyer said. "When we started it was less than 50 percent."

The coalition also has promoted training for bartenders, servers and retail clerks. More than 175 retail clerks have completed a state-approved training program, said Barney Stucker, a prevention specialist with Flathead Valley Chemical Dependency Clinic.

"We saw a need. There was nothing targeted to the local stop-and-go [convenience stores] and there was a real need to target this small group," Stucker said. "Now we have businesses calling us up" to get the training.

Coalition members made a decision early on to target their message to parents and adults.

"Whenever you have a minor drinking, an adult screwed up somewhere," Stucker said, citing information that was impressed upon coalition members at the national training conference. "We decided, 'Let's focus that direction.' Focus on supply rather than behavior.

"Never underestimate the power of parental responsibility."

It was a 911 call at midnight that alerted authorities of the 13-year-old Ferndale girl who was hospitalized earlier this week for severe alcohol poisoning.

"Why was a 13-year-old out at midnight?" Stucker asked. "Nobody would tell their 13-year-old, 'I know you're going to drive a car anyway, so be careful when you do.' Why is it any different with drinking?"

Parents sometimes condone underage drinking by supplying alcohol for at-home parties when they wrongly believe they're creating a safe and responsible environment for teen drinkers.

Bruyer said the bottom line is that there is no environment that's right for underage drinking.

"It's against the law," he said.

THE PROBLEMS related to underage drinking reach much further than breaking the law, though, said Linda Ravicher, coordinator of the drug-free communities support grant that funds the Flathead Prevention Alliance.

Truancy, criminal mischief, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and the risk of becoming chemically dependent all are side effects that taxpayers ultimately subsidize at about $250 million annually in Montana.

Many parents have no idea of the quantity of alcohol underage drinkers are consuming.

"It's not just teens having a couple of beers," Ravicher said.

Bruyer said party sites are strewn with huge amounts of alcohol. Beer-drinking funnels and drug paraphernalia also are typically found.

Coalition members are encouraged, however, by an upswing in citizen tips about where parties are being held.

The party at Bootjack Lake west of Whitefish on Monday night was busted by law-enforcement officers after a camper saw a half-dozen cars going into the area and called authorities. Seven underage drinkers were cited.

Stucker is encouraged by the increase in citizen tips because it measures progress in the coalition's second strategy - to change social norms by reinforcing the message that underage alcohol use is unacceptable.

"I've noticed more reports of suspicious transactions in the police logs," Stucker said. "Two years ago we never saw that."

With the local Alcohol Enforcement Team putting pressure on enforcement of underage drinking laws, teens have moved their gatherings farther out and often onto public land.

Denise Germann, public information officer for the Flathead Forest, said parties on Forest Service land are becoming more frequent. Garbage left behind, unattended campfires and the safety of other visitors are big concerns, she said. And this week, fireworks (prohibited on federal land) combined with alcohol use "is not a good situation."

She's also encouraged by the increase in people calling in suspicious behavior that often involves underage drinking.

"We have 2.3 million acres, and the public is the key to managing our resources," Germann said.

WHILE ALCOHOL is the most commonly used drug among young people, it's often methamphetamine use that gets the attention, said Julie Cummins, director of Flathead CARE.

"No one starts out using meth," she said. "If you're under the influence of alcohol, you may not be able to make good choices."

The age at which a person first uses alcohol is a powerful predictor. In Montana, young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence and are two and a half times more likely to become abusers of alcohol than those who begin drinking at age 21, Stucker said, citing statistics compiled by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation.

The coalition offers a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation to interested community groups that want to learn more about underage drinking. Contact Stucker or Ravicher at 756-6453 or Bruyer at 758-5709.

The Web site www.alcoholfreechildren.org also offers resource material.

"It's easy to point fingers at parents," Ravicher said. "My hope is instead of drawing a line in the sand, we can all work together."

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com