A national group that targets underage drinking and driving is urging parents to talk to their teens about drinking. Maria Tildon of the Century Council says in 2001, 31 “underage” Iowans died in alcohol-related traffic accidents. Tildon says her group wants to raise the awareness of teachers and parents that there is no more important time of year to have a converation with kids about the dangers of underage drinking. Tildon says graduation parties abound, and the carefree summer months ahead present more danger.Tildon says summertime is a problematic time because kids have more time on their hands, but she says parents have more time with their kids and an opportunity to talk about the importance of making responsible decisions and not buckling to peer pressure. A recent survey by Tildon’s group found 52 percent of teens who drink say they get the booze from their parents and Tildon says that suggests too many teens have easy access to the liquor cabinet at home or in a friend’s home. Tildon says it dispels the notion that kids obtain their alcohol “through mischief at a retailer or at a bar using fake I.D.s.” She says while that does occur, the lion’s share of alcohol kids are consuming comes from right under their parent’s noses. The survey also found 85 percent of teenage girls and 70 percent of teenage boys had consumed alcohol illegally. Tildon says that shows young women are just as if not more actively consuming alcohol than their male peers. The Century Council has declared the month of May “Prom and Graduation Safety Month.”
