Jun 26, 2008 7:35 pm US/Eastern
Study: Underage Drinkers Getting Booze From Adults
New Study Finds 40 Percent Of Teens Are Bought Alcohol By Parents
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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A new government survey finds that 40% of this county's estimated 10.5 million underage drinkers get their alcohol from an adult.
CBS
There are nearly 11 million underage drinkers in this country, according to details from the government. What's more alarming is where they're getting their booze.
Adults are serving alcohol to millions of American teenagers.
A new government survey finds that 40 percent of this county's estimated 10.5 million underage drinkers get their alcohol from an adult.
"I am not surprised because actually, when I was in that age group, that's how I got it," Temietirus Pulley, 33, said.
While the most common place for teens to drink is someone else's house, last month an estimated 650,000 underage drinkers didn't have to look any further than mom or dad.
"I think a lot of parents feel they are more comfortable with knowing where their children are drinking, what they are drinking," Luciana Casper, 25, said.
Parents' own morals and values often dictate rules about alcohol use that may change as their teen gets older, but the acting surgeon general warns that many parents don't realize the risk.
While underage drinking is nothing new, it does lead to thousands of alcohol-related traffic deaths and injuries each year.
"They are not old enough to make the decisions later," Betsy Ryer, mother of two, says. "Should I get in the car, should I get in the car with someone else who has been drinking?"
Ryer doesn't want her daughters drinking until they're 21.
"I have been known to count what is in the refrigerator, unbeknownst to her," Ryer said.
The study suggests that girls start drinking before boys, but boys surpass girls as they near the legal age. And about 1 in 5 of those surveyed admitted to binge drinking – consuming fire or more drinks in just a few hours.
The Office of the Surgeon General plans to use the study's findings to launch an underage drinking prevention campaign.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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