Salt Lake City, UT — A recent survey commissioned by The Century
Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by America's
leading distilled spirits producers, revealed that nearly half of all
mothers think underage drinking is acceptable under some circumstances.
The survey found that mothers of teenage daughters underestimate the
occurrence of underage drinking among their own daughters and misjudge
the seriousness of the issue.
To address this gap in knowledge of the prevalence of underage drinking
in Utah, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff; Larry V. Lunt, Chairman, UT
Alcoholic Beverage Control, and The Century Council, an organization
dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking and funded by
distillers; partnered to launch Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of
Underage Drinking at Murray High School.
Significant survey findings include the following:
Mothers significantly underestimate daughter's experience with alcohol
- 16% of 13-15 year old girls say they drink with friends, only 5% of their mothers think their daughters are drinking;
- 30% of 16-18 year old girls say they drink with friends, only 9% of their mothers think their daughters are drinking;
- 51% of 19-21 year old girls say they drink with friends and only 32% of their mothers think their daughters are drinking.
Alarmingly, mothers say underage drinking is acceptable
- Nearly half (49%) of mothers of teenage girls say it is okay for their daughters to drink;
- 38% of mothers say it is okay for their daughters to drink on special occasions;
- 21% of mothers say it is okay to drink under parental supervision at home;
- 20% of mothers say drinking alcohol is a natural part of growing up.
"These data show that mothers start out viewing underage alcohol consumption as a serious problem, yet as their daughters grow older mothers switch their message from "don't do it" to "be safe"; this illustrates a disturbing misperception among moms about the seriousness of problems associated with alcohol consumption by their teenage daughters," said Attorney General Shurtleff. "Our goal is to encourage moms to have conversations with their teenage daughters about the negative effects and dangers of underage drinking."
71% of Girls Think Health Consequences Serious
When asked how serious they thought health risks were for teens that drink, 71% of the girls polled stated that they believe the health risks associated with drinking are serious. Putting a finer point on their concerns, the research also uncovered "the five strongest health-consequences that would keep teens from drinking alcohol" according to survey responses of teenage girls ages 13-18. Among the health consequences they identified are the following:
| Alcohol poisoning/overdose | 64% |
| Rape | 63% |
| Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)/HIV-AIDS | 52% |
| Unsafe/unplanned sex | 52% |
| Harm to mental development | 39% |
| Hangover | 37% |
| Pregnancy | 45% |
| Suicide | 35% |
| Harm to physical development | 27% |
| Vomiting | 28% |
| Weight gain or weight loss | 28% |
Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking
In the face of these data, The Century Council created Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking to improve dialogue among mothers and daughters. Developed in partnership with the Society for Women's Health Research and the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, Girl Talk will help mothers initiate and sustain conversations about alcohol.
Girl Talk utilizes the data gleaned from the survey including those health consequences of most concern to the girls. Girl Talk also highlights the daughters' advice to their moms regarding talking about underage drinking. Girls participating in the survey responded that:
- Moms must be approachable, able to keep an open mind and must not lecture or overreact — "just because I am asking about alcohol does not mean I am drinking alcohol."
- Moms: Keep the conversation real and personal by telling about your own personal and real-life experiences, choices and consequences, and if you don't want to talk about yourself, share the experiences of people you know.
- Be my parent, not my friend. Share your values and set the rules and discuss the social risks of underage drinking beyond just drunk driving.
- A website, www.girlsanddrinking.org, for mothers and daughters with additional information on how to have the underage drinking conversation and links to additional national and local resources related to underage drinking.
- Booklets for mothers, detailing how to begin the conversation, sustain the conversation and have an impact as well as information explaining the facts about alcohol, and addressing issues such as peer pressure and creative ways to say "no" to alcohol.
- A Blog, hosted by the Society for Women's Health, for moms and daughters to discuss their experiences and connect with others on this issue.
Additionally, the US Women's National Soccer Team Players Association
has partnered with The Century Council on this initiative. The National
Soccer Team Players Association will endorse Girl Talk through personal
appearances at functions and schools, in print and online media, public
service announcements and other integrated marketing initiatives.
Through its official fan club alone, The Ponytail Posse, the US Women's
National Soccer Team Players Association has the potential to reach
millions of girls around the world.
"According to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (SAMHSA),
nearly 18.6% of 12-20 year olds (boys and girls) reported past month
alcohol consumption in Utah. We must bring those figures down and make
sure Utah's young people — our future — are safe and alcohol-free,"
said Lunt.
"Girls need to be informed of the toll that underage drinking can take
not only on their health but also on their grades and reputations. I
want all of the young girls in Utah to know that underage drinking is
wrong and it's something they need to discuss with their mothers," said
Dana Fudurich, The Century Council.
About the Surveys
The Century Council commissioned Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) to
conduct a comprehensive research project to better understand the
dynamics of underage drinking among mothers and daughters. TRU fielded
a study April 2005 among a national on-line sample — total of 875
respondents (496 daughters and 379 mothers, 322 of the matching)
completed the questionnaire. Quotas were set to ensure that a
representative number of daughters (and mothers) from each of the
following age segments completed the survey: 13-15 year olds, 16-18
year olds, and 19-20 years olds. The mother-daughter results presented
here reflect the matched mother and daughter data collected. TRU
conducted an additional self-administered online omnibus survey,
OmnibuzzTM, among 802 13 to 18 year olds in August 2005. The data were
weighted for key demographic variables (gender, age, ethnicity, parent
education, region and community-type of place of school) to reflect the
national population. The margin of error for both survey samples at the
95 percent confidence level is + 3 percentage points. That is, if this
survey were to be replicated 100 times, in 95 instances the results
would be within three percentage points of the data reported here.
The Society for Women's Health Research
The Society for Women's Health Research is the nation's only non-profit
organization whose mission is to improve the health of all women
through research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1990, the Society
brought to national attention the need for the appropriate inclusion of
women in major medical research studies and the need for more
information about conditions affecting women disproportionately,
predominately, or differently than men. The Society advocates increased
funding for research on women's health; encourages the study of sex
differences that may affect the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of
disease; promotes the inclusion of women in medical research studies;
and informs women, providers, policy makers and media about
contemporary women's health issues. Visit the Society's website at
www.womenshealthresearch.org for more information.
US Women's National Soccer Team Players Association
The US Women's National Soccer Team Players Association was
created after the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup to represent all the
players that comprise the US Women's National Soccer Team, and give the
US Soccer Federation the assurance that the new Uniform Player
Agreement and Collective Bargaining Agreement would govern its
relationship with the players through the 2004 Olympics. The
Association has primarily functioned as a representation and
negotiating body, and is now making greater efforts to promote its
constituent players. More information can be found at:
www.unitedsoccerathletes.com and www.ponytailposse.com.
National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA)
It is the mission of the National Alcohol Beverage Control
Association (NABCA) to support and benefit alcohol control systems by
providing research, fostering relationships, and managing resources to
address policy for the responsible sale and consumption of alcohol
beverages. Established in 1937, NABCA is the national association
representing the Control States - those political jurisdictions that
directly control the distribution and sale of beverage alcohol within
their borders. Headquartered in the Washington, DC area, NABCA serves
its members as an information clearinghouse and as liaison to federal,
state and local governments, research and advocacy groups, the alcohol
beverage industry, and other organizations impacting alcohol policy.
