INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Prom, graduation, and endless summer days: research shows this is a peak time of the year for high risk behavior with adolescents celebrating and experimenting with drugs.
Many of the students in the Indian River County middle & high schools are preparing for these events with new resolve to make good choices and stay “above the influence.” These students are living substance free and are now telling others how they do that.
Gifford Middle School students held a poster rally every morning this past week so parents and other students could see their messages as they entered the school.
All IRC high schools are in the process of asking upper level students to sign a pledge card which states their intentions to stay substance free before, during, and after prom.
Additionally, many of their parents are also being asked to sign a pledge to host only substance free parties for their children.
To actively involve parents in the prevention of underage drinking, the SAFIR Coalition recently launched their parent education campaign.
“Holding youth solely responsible for underage drinking is like blaming fish for dying in a polluted stream. Moreover, the 2012 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey shows that nearly 80% of Indian River County students who drink report drinking alcohol in their own home or the homes of a friend,” explained some coalition members.
Many parents mistakenly believe that by allowing their children to drink at home, they keep them safe. However, research shows that adolescents who drink at home are more likely to drink larger quantities outside the home and to develop alcohol problems than those who do not drink at all at home.
The parent education campaign lists these 3 key messages:
1. It is illegal to serve alcohol to minors.
2. 90% of all addiction begins with use prior to age 18.
3. Underage alcohol use can impair brain development.
For more information, please contact the SAFIR Coalition at (772) 770-4811 or visit the website www.sacirc.org.
