THE PROBLEM IN CONNECTICUT
adults, and sales outlets, even though it is illegal to sell or provide it for
them. As adults,
we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to change this fact.
Connecticut's youth have a drug problem and overwhelmingly their drug of choice
is alcohol.
The age of initiation of alcohol use for youth in Connecticut is 11 years old,
two years earlier
than the national average.
of youth surveyed by DMHAS report that they obtain alcohol at home and one-third
report that
they can purchase their own alcohol.
of 9
th - 10
th graders surveyed reporting using alcohol within the past 30 days
encourages their decision to drink
Public support for addressing underage drinking in our state is strong.
- 86% of adults surveyed agreed that there should be stronger penalties for adult
providers of alcohol, especially parents; - 68% of adults also say that stronger penalties for youth will deter them from drinking;
Parents have the right to expect that other parents and adults are not violating
their family
values and rules by providing alcohol at parties, graduations and other teen
events.
Why support a state law to address underage drinking house parties/social host?
The silent majority of adults in Connecticut are "doing the right thing", having
conversations
with their teens about the dangers of alcohol use and setting firm rules for
their teens not to
use alcohol.
In surveys of adults in Connecticut where scenarios of house party situations
were presented,
this "silent majority" of adults spoke up and made clear their overwhelming support
for
increased enforcement and penalties for "social hosts"
- 90% say that adults that provide alcohol to minors in any fashion should be arrested
and fined; - 85% support arresting and fining parents who specifically host "house parties"
Youth tell us that alcohol is amazingly easy to obtain from friends, parents,
and sales
outlets even though it is illegal to sell or provide it to them.
- 77% of high school students obtain alcohol at home with or without parent's
permission; - 61% of teen drinking occurs at parties in their own homes;
- Thirty-six (36) percent of young people purchase their own alcohol;
- Thirty (30) percent get alcohol from home with parental permission;
The Connecticut Coalition to Stop Underage Drinking
30 Arbor Street, Hartford, CT 06106
Tel. (860) 523-8042 x 28 Fax. (860) 236-9412
