In 2007, throughout Hanover County, over a hundred thousand gallons of alcohol were consumed.

No harm there, right? After all, the cocktail hour is a time-honored tradition, a way to loosen the tightly wound stress of the day. And hey, it’s legal.

The danger, and the crime, is when the person raising the glass is only 13 years old. And according to the organization Increased Community Awareness Requires Everyone, or I CARE, kids in Hanover County tend to be around 13 when they take their first sip of beer, wine or liquor.

By the time they’re 17 or 18, nearly half of Hanover’s youth is drinking at least once a month.

And, more than a quarter of Hanover County’s 8th, 10th and 12th graders say that they’ve gone off on a drinking binge sometime in the past two weeks.

I CARE is trying to curb this trend.

I CARE is a community collation dedicated to helping Hanover families raise healthy, drug-free kids. The organization recently hosted “Not my kid… a neighborhood conversation about underage drinking,” a community forum held at three local middle schools last week.

Larry Forcum, a founding member of the organization, said, “What really got me involved was when I participated in the (Hanover County) sheriff’s citizens’ academy. I rode along, and saw kids hanging out with nothing to do and getting in things they shouldn’t.”

“A lot of young people are participating in the concept, the I CARE program,” said Forcum. “Young people are included and engaged in setting it up; young people listen to other young people, relate to people their age.”

One teen who is involved in the program is Hannah Alter, a senior at Atlee High School. Forcum describes Alter as a strong role model for kids.

And Alter is hoping to help other youths, and their parents, make good choices.

“Alcohol is a problem in Hanover County, and we’re really trying to get parents more knowledgeable about what they can do,” said Alter. “They should watch out for their kids’ friends, who they’re hanging out with. People get in with groups in middle school and high school, and this will be your foundation, of whether they pressure you or don’t pressure you.

Deputy Barry Bland of the Hanover Sheriff’s Office told those at the forum held at Oak Knoll Middle School last Thursday evening that underage drinking is a county-wide problem. “Where there is less population, there are less numbers; where there is more population, there are more numbers,” he said. “But there is no spike in a particular arm of the county.”

But how are kids getting alcohol in the first place?

Bland said that that’s the easy part. “They’re sneaking it out of the house, out of their parents’ cabinets, out of the refrigerator. Or from other adults who don’t mind giving it to them. And they’re purchasing it from stores, with a fake ID or no ID.”

The problem is that once these kids get a hold of beer or liquor, they tend to “power drink,” says Bland.

“They have to play dumb and hide,” he said. “In order not to be caught, they do what they have to do to get back where they belong in time, and not be noticed.”

When kids drink large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time, they are vulnerable to life-threatening issues, such as unresponsiveness and a slowed breathing rate.

Dr. Aleta Meyer, who works with the Prevention Research Branch of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told forum participants that the adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol.

And, alcohol abuse can create increased safety concerns for kids, such as injuries, car accidents, and risky and/or unwanted sexual activity.

“To me, this is the really big deal,” she said.

How can parents help?

Meyer invited the parents and teens in the audience to offer suggestions for families striving to avoid the destructive effects of teenage drinking. Their answers included: Keep kids busy. Really listen to, and communicate with, your children. Know your kids’ friends, and their friends’ parents.

“You have power as a parent, and are a very powerful role model,” she said. “Love them as they are, but it’s important at the same time to have clear expectations, high expectations… it’s a tough balancing act!”

But it is one worth practicing, to ensure that your child stays safe, healthy and happy.

“We don’t want to lose anybody in our community to something so senseless as making poor choices,” said Forcum.

For more information about I CARE, and to learn more about helping your child avoid alcohol and drugs, visit www.hanovericare.com.

If you suspect your teenager is having trouble with alcohol or drugs, contact the guidance office at your child’s school to speak with confidentially with the Substance Abuse Prevention Counselor. To contact a Substance Abuse Counselor at Hanover Community Services, call 365-4222.

Ken Odor
Atlee High School senior Hanna Alter gives seminar members some ideas about how to keep teens from using alcohol.