Chief’s Column: Ask for ID or you’ll fail Grafton Police’s underage drinking checks

Taking its mission to prevent underage drinking seriously, officers from the Grafton Police Department will be continuing its efforts in conducting compliance checks at all Town licensed alcohol outlets to determine the number of liquor establishments selling alcohol to individuals under 21.

We know that alcohol is the number one drug problem among youth, killing more young people than all other illicit drugs combined. Research also shows that the earlier youth begin drinking, the more likely they are to suffer injuries, binge drink and drive drunk. Frequent oversight of alcohol retailers increases compliance.

Underage Drinking

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol use by persons under age 21 years is a major public health problem. Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than tobacco and illicit drugs, and is responsible for thousands of annual deaths among underage youth. Although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. On average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers.

The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that among high school students, 29% drank alcohol, 14% binge drank, 5% of drivers drove after drinking alcohol and 17% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.

Youth who drink alcohol are more likely to experience

· School problems, such as higher absence and poor or failing grades.

· Social problems, such as fighting and lack of participation in youth activities.

· Legal problems, such as arrest for driving or physically hurting someone while drunk.

· Physical problems, such as hangovers or illnesses.

· Unwanted, unplanned, and unprotected sexual activity.

· Disruption of normal growth and sexual development.

· Physical and sexual assault.

· Higher risk for suicide and homicide.

· Alcohol-related car crashes and other unintentional injuries, such as burns, falls, and drowning.

· Memory problems.

· Abuse of other drugs.

· Changes in brain development that may have life-long effects.

· Death from alcohol poisoning.

In general, the risk of youth experiencing these problems is greater for those who binge drink than for those who do not binge drink. Youth who start drinking before age 15 years are five times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21 years.

Preventing underage drinking is everyone’s responsibility. More must be done to address this problem. Activities such as compliance checks monitor and encourage establishments to make sure youth don’t have easy access to alcohol. Any loss on our roadways is unacceptable and we are hoping that our efforts will help to reduce the instances of alcohol use and impaired driving by our underage population.

The above information on underage drinking may be found on the CDC web site at:

www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm.

Normand A. Crepeau, Jr.

Chief of Police