Underage Drinking More Prevalent In UC Than Some Might Think

The state is kicking off back-to-school season with important messages about underage drinking, which is more of an issue in the Upper Cumberland than some might expect.

Power of Putnam’s Makiah Prince said people tend to think that vaping and nicotine is a greater issue because it is more prevalent in school systems right now. Prince said teens typically perceive alcohol as having a lower risk compared to other substances.

“And fentanyl has all these headlines and everything which they rightfully deserve these are very concerning issues that are coming up within our community,” Prince said. “But alcohol stays the most misused substance among Tennesseans all ages, like I said because it is so easily accessible for our youths.”

Prince said county data indicates that alcohol is one of the highest-used substances among under aged survey responders. Prince said on average about 12 percent of teens have used alcohol within the last 30 days of taking the survey. She said that also indicates the frequency at which teens are able to get alcohol and drink it.

Prince said the issue is exacerbated because corporations are now marketing alcoholic beverages to younger audiences, such as Mountain Dew and Monster Energy. She said companies market their beverages to the youth because companies know they drink their products consistently even without alcohol.

“With underage drinking comes the risk factor of drinking while driving, you have all these people on the road and then you can put more people in danger,” Prince said.”And not only that it’s affecting their futures as well. It’s hard to get into college when you have a DUI at 16.”

Prince said Power of Putnam works to make teens aware of just how dangerous it can be for them to drink with in-school campaigns. She said parents can help address this issue by having open conversations with their kids about the implications of drinking underage.