This article was written for our sponsor, Talk it Out NC

Underage drinking is not a small problem, and it’s not harmless. In fact, drinking alcohol is associated with a number of dangers for young people.

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That’s why North Carolina established Talk it Out NC, an initiative that encourages the entire community to work together to reduce underage drinking and all the harm it causes.

"Our objective is to be in contact with adults who live with young people, who work with young people — to encourage them to talk with them and their caregivers about the dangers of underage drinking," said Rodney Poole, program coordinator for the education outreach division of the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

Early education is vital, in part because using alcohol and other addictive substances before adulthood can lead to lifelong problems, he said.

"I’ve seen this statistic frequently: 90% of adults who have a substance abuse disorder started using before 18," said Poole.

Because it can be tough for parents to have conversations with their kids about alcohol, Talk it Out NC provides the facts about underage drinking and how it negatively affects the body, as well as conversation starters.

Burna Mattocks is director of special services at the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. She noted that the conversation starters can be key to creating real change.

"Many times, we as parents need guidance also," she said. "We don’t always have answers."

Mattocks added that it’s been shown the best way to develop effective communication with a young person is to have short, ongoing talks.

"Having a conversation is a two-way street," said Mattocks. "It’s not about lecturing. Take the opportunity to have the conversations, getting an ice cream cone, saying, ‘What do you think about that commercial you just saw on TV? What do you think about that article in the paper? What do you think about that young person drinking in your school?’"

Talk it Out NC offers tips for talking to young people, and it’s not just parents who can benefit. Rather, the entire "parenting community" can join the cause.

"Children do not grow up with just the advice or the help of parents," said Mattocks. "It’s a parenting community — a community of mentors, educators, teachers, coaches."

The information that some young people see on social networks or other media sources may make it seem like alcohol is a major part of society, so they buy into the idea that if people aren’t drinking, they’re not having a good time.

"We really want to dispel that myth and let them know, if they are consuming alcohol, they stand to deal with a number of risks," said Poole.

In fact, alcohol can have long-term effects on a young person’s physical and social development.

"One of the big risks — aside from overconsumption, blacking out, passing out, possible alcohol poisoning — are the risks of not developing the way they’re supposed to, not learning to have a good time the way they’re supposed to," he added.

In his work, Poole visits classrooms, telling students they are the ones in control of their decisions. But he also speaks with adults, sharing with them that they need to model the behavior they want to see in kids.

"If you don’t want to see your kids drinking all the time, don’t drink all the time," advised Poole.

Alcohol Awareness Month

As proclaimed by Governor Roy Cooper, April is Alcohol Awareness Month. The proclamation underscores the effect that alcohol misuse has on North Carolinians. Amongst other noted facts, the proclamation states that alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable death in North Carolina. It also states the troubling statistics involving the consumption of alcohol amongst minors and the prevalence of impaired driving amongst teens.

As part of ongoing efforts, Talk it Out NC presented a webinar that invited educators and students to share their views on how to have difficult conversations. The webinar, which took place April 11, is available to watch on the Talk it Out NC webpage.

"They’re pretty raw opinions about what and how they feel about having conversations with their parents or with educators," said Mattocks. "Oftentimes, we don’t necessarily listen to them, and having that respect for their opinion, it does matter. That helps build that trust between the parent or the parenting community and the child."

Having those conversations will help with the ultimate goal of Talk it Out NC: saving lives.

"Too many of our babies are not coming back home," said Mattocks. "As a community, we have to do what we can."

This article was written for our sponsor, Talk it Out NC