underage consumption

Man Arrested for Giving Alcohol to Children

Posted on by azalcrehabctr

A Rhode Island father was accused of getting his ten year old daughter and her three friends drunk. Parents of one of the friends sent their daughter to the hospital after she came home extremely intoxicated. They then called the police to notify them that Paul White had provided their daughter with alcohol. The couple was concerned because White also has a ten year old daughter in the home that was drinking.

When police arrived at the home they found White’s ten year old daughter under the influence of alcohol. She was unable to stand and her speech was very slurred. Emergency responders had to take her out of the home on a stretcher. Investigators found empty bottles of alcohol strewn about the home and a bucket filled with vomit.

White was immediately taken into custody and held on a $1,000 bail. Upon exiting his home in handcuffs, his neighbors cheered that he was being arrested. He is forbidden from communicating with anyone under the age of 18 until after his trial. Police suspect that White purchased alcohol for the children earlier in the day and then went back to the liquor store to purchase more alcohol for the children later in the evening. They are also concerned that White poured vodka shots for the children.

White claims that he had no idea that the children were drinking. He states that they got into the alcohol when he was not looking. Investigators are still looking into the incident, and a pre-trial conference is scheduled for July 1, 2014.

White’s daughter is currently in the care of Child Protective Services and will remain so until after the trial. Parents of the daughter’s friends hope that White never gets custody back of the minor child. They are concerned that he will let her consume alcohol again and this time she may not survive. The amount of alcohol that she had appeared to consume prior to emergency services arriving was extensive.

Can Driving Regulations Reduce Underage Drinking?

Posted on by azalcrehabctr

One of the biggest things in life that most teenagers look forward to is the ability to drive a care, legally, by themselves. The freedom of finally being able to go somewhere without having to rely on someone else can be exhilarating for a 16 yr old. So how can driving regulations possibly reduce the amount of underage alcohol consumption?

Several practices that were recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General are credited with lowering teenage drinking in recent years, as indicated by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The tactics have included restriction on young drivers being allwed to drive at night, and strict license suspension policies surrounding these regulations. In addition to the driving issue, additional areas of were partnerships between college campuses and the community, and routine screening by physicians to identify and counsel underage drinkers.

According to NIAAA acting director Kenneth Warren, Ph.D., “The downward trend in underage drinking and alcohol-related traffic deaths indicates that certain policies and programs put in place at the federal, state, and local levels have had an impact.”

Overeall alcohol use and heavy drinking have declined among 8th- 10th- and 12th-grade students. One study indicated that alcohol use among high school seniors dropped from more than 66 percent in 2007 down to 62 percent in 2013. While these aren’t dramatic results, it does show statistically valid improvement.

Of course laws and regulations alone cannot be the primary factors, but every little bit helps. Reducing underage drinking helps do cut down on traffic accidents, unwanted pregnancies, the spread of STDs and much more.