Hospital emergency department visits involving underage drinking nearly double during the Fourth of July Holiday weekend according to a new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The study reveals that daily underage drinking-related visits to hospital emergency departments are 87 percent higher during the Fourth of July weekend than they are on an average day in July. The report estimates that on an average day in July, there are 502 hospital emergency department visits involving underage alcohol use. For the three day Fourth of July weekend however, the number of daily hospital emergency department visits jumps to 938.
"Underage drinking is not a harmless right of passage. It has far-reaching consequences. In addition to emergency department visits, injuries, arrests and embarrassment, 5,000 deaths in people under age 21 are linked to alcohol each year," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "Parents are a leading influence in their children’s decision to avoid alcohol. To help parents make the tough job of raising children a little easier, SAMHSA provides an online action plan to help parents talk with their children about expectations regarding alcohol use."
SAMHSA's site Talk Early, Talk Often, Get Involved has tools to help you talk your kids about drinking, including an Action Plan Tool to help start the conversation.
Some ways to celebrate healthfully include:
Be mindful of where the alcohol is stored in your house and how much you have on hand. Check the amounts regularly.
Be a good role model: If you choose to drink, set a good example for your child by drinking in moderation and monitoring what you say about alcohol. Remember that your actions and behaviors have a direct impact on his or her opinion about drinking.
Encourage healthy alternatives to drinking: Play outdoor games like horseshoes, bacche, ladder golf or washers; swim or play sports--batgammon anyone?; take the time to relax with a good book, magazines, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, etc.; or if you're on the beach have a sandcastle contest!
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