Preventing Harmful Drinking

Underage and Binge Drinking Prevention Initiative

Drug Free Marion County (DFMC)

As the county’s Local Coordinating Council, Drug Free Marion County has identified the need to reduce youth substance use and to increase parental awareness and prevention skills. The process of gathering andreviewing local data on the specific topics of underage and binge drinking have lead to real concern about the impact of drinking on Marion County youth. It has also lead to a better understanding of the need to make changes in our local communities.

“The Consumption and Consequences of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drugs in Indiana: A State Epidemiological Profile” identifies Marion County as having a high rate of use for cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana based on police crime report data.

Because of the facts of this report, Drug Free Marion County (DFMC) creaed a LocalAdvisory Council (LAC) to direct this project and used the strategic prevention framework to guide and organize its efforts. This fact sheet is a summary of key data points illuminating the issue of underage and binge drinking in Marion County.

The Local Advisory Council is implementing the following action plan:

Increase public awareness, by sharing data and information on prevention strategies
Reduce social availability by increasing knowledge of legal penalties, party patrols, reduce third party sales, stop loss measures
Increase perception of risk or harm through prevention education programs

Did you know?? Alcohol consumption begins earlier than you think.

In March 2008, Drug Free Marion County completed a report on underage and binge drinking. Of great concern is the number of young people who begin drinking. 48% of Marion County 8th grade students report having drunk alcohol.

Marion County Report on Underage and Binge Drinking 2008

Celebrate With Care

FACT Sheet

Marion County Data on Underage Alcohol Use

Prevalence of Use Among Marion County Youth: (1)

48% of 8th grade students report having drunk alcohol
On average 8% of are 6th grade students report having used alcohol in the last 30 days. (Actual range 3.9%-13.7%)
Current use of alcohol (last 30 days) increases rapidly between 6th and 8th grade going from 8% to 21.5%. A change of 62%
18% of 11 to 18 year olds report binge* drinking in the last two weeks

Availability: (2)

71.7% of area teens report getting alcohol from friends or relatives over the age of 21
52.8% of teens report that they know of parents who allow teens to drink in their home
Marion County has 1,576 licensed liquor establishments
75% of Marion County middle and high school lie within a half mile radius of a licensed liquor establishment

Impact of use: (3)

A Person who begins drinking as a young teen is four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than someone who starts in adulthood (21)
During adolescence signigican changes occur in teh body, including the formation of new networks in the brain. Alcohol use during this time may affect brain development.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among youth ages 15-20 and the rate of fatal crashes among alcohol-invovled drivers between 16 and 20 years old is more than twice the rate for alcohol-involved drivers 21 and older. Alcohol use is also linked with youth fatalities by drowning, sucide and homicide.
Alcohol use is associated with many adolescent risk behaviors, including other drug use and deliquency, weapon carrying and fighting, and perpetrating or being the victim of date rape.

*Binge drinking is defined as having four or more drinks for women; five or more for men during one occasion

Date Sources

1) Alcohol Tobacco and other Drug Use by Indiana Children and Adolescents Survey, 2007 Indiana Prevention Resource Center (http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/)

2) Drug Free Marion County's Youth Advisory Council, Teen Alcohol Survey April 2008

State Excise Police registry of Marion County liqor license establishments

SAVI data mapping, Polis Center

3) NIAAA The Facts About Youth and Alcohol. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/PSA/factsheet/pdf

Want to keep kids from getting alcohol? One way is to limit the number of permits issued in your neighborhood

Information on how to remonstrate against Alcohol Beverage Permit requests

From the Alcohol Tobacco Commission Local Board Handbook:

An applicant may be denied for any one or more of the following:

(1) The applicant does not maintain a high and fine reputation in the community; (2) There is no need for the services of the applicant at the proposed location;

(3) The neighborhood and/or community do not desire the services;

(4) The services at the proposed location would have a negative impact on other businesses in the neighborhood as well as a negative impact on the neighborhood in general;

(5) The permit premises is within 200 feet of a church or school; or

(6) The permit premises is in a residential area as referred to in IC 7.1-1- 3-38 and 905 IAC 1-18-1.

Members of the community who wish to speak or offer evidence against the applicant are known as “remonstrators.” Under the Commission’s rules, remonstrator means a person who appears, personally or by counsel, at the Local Board hearing to speak against a permit and identifies himself by stating his name and address or telephone number to the Local Board. The Local Board may limit the testimony of remonstrators, particularly if the testimony is repetitive or is not relevant to the application at issue.

The Local Board may utilize any and all information presented at the hearing; however, it may not consider information obtained outside the hearing process.

Following the presentation of evidence by the applicant and the remonstrators, the Local Board votes on the application.

The local board and the ATC will not deny a permit because individuals do not want gasoline and alcohol sold in the same location. Mentioning this will surely get the permit approved.

First and third Monday of the month 9:30 am

Room 260

City-County Building

200 East Washington Street

Indianapolis, Indiana 46203

Drug Free Marion County
2506 Willowbrook Parkway
Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46205
Phone: (317) 254-2815
Fax: (317) 253-1756
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