Spring Break in Marin!

As you may have seen in the headlines recently, Marin county residents have again made the top of the list for positive health indicators compared to other California counties. This means that people in our area generally have healthy behaviors in many respects.  Despite the overall healthy profile of our residents, Marin county adults continue to have one of the highest rates of binge drinking (5 or more drinks in a row) in the state, with about one in four adults reporting excessive drinking behavior.

It should be no surprise then, that local teens also have higher rates of drinking compared to people their age statewide. Young people learn from what they see around them and mimic the adult behaviors they observe. Because teens are so impressionable, the behavior of their parents and other adults in their lives has a big effect on their decisions.

If our goal as a community is to promote healthy and vibrant future generations, there are steps we can take now to have a positive impact.  If you are a parent and consume alcohol, model responsible alcohol use.  Never drink and get behind the wheel of car and be thoughtful about how you use alcohol in front of your children.  If you use alcohol to deal with stress or blow off steam, your children will learn to do the same.

In addition to positive role modeling, think about how to keep alcohol out of the hands of youth. Spring break is here and many youth have more down time to gather and socialize with friends and family members. Take the following steps to reduce the risk that alcohol is a part of spring break activities.

• Be clear with your child they are not to drink alcohol and that there will be consequences if they to drink.
• Monitor your child’s activities-know who they are with and what they are doing.
• If your child is home alone during the day while you work, make sure that any alcohol in your house is locked up and set up a system to check in on them.
• If your child has friends over, make sure that you are present and actively supervise. Let your child’s friends know that no underage drinking or drug use is allowed in your home.

If adults host mixed age events where alcohol is served, follow these tips to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors: 

·         Let guests know that minors are not allowed to drink alcohol at your event.

·         Ensure that alcohol is monitored and located where do not have access.

·         Monitor outdoor areas to prevent unmonitored consumption.

·         Serve alcohol in distinctly different cups than non-alcoholic beverages.

·         Dispose of unfinished alcoholic drinks.

If preventing underage drinking is something you care about, consider joining efforts with the Novato Blue Ribbon Coalition for Youth. We have many different ways for volunteers to contribute, check out our website: http://novatoblueribbon.org/ or contact NBRC4Y Project Coordinator: Jasmine Freese at 415-798-5329 or jasmine@novatoblueribbon.org