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A Resource Guide for Parents & Families
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Want help with tough topics like substance use and abuse, sexual abuse and assault,
depression and suicide?
Do you wonder what�s "normal" and what�s not during adolescence?
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This resource deals with issues common among all adolescents in Gallatin County. It provides tools to help you guide your children.
It encourages you to network with other parents/guardians, community agencies and your schools to help your children lead a productive, successful
alcohol and drug-free lifestyle.
Above all, it calls for action, for more communication; parent to teacher and parent to parent. It is a call for more involvement, a call to
work together to help our youth to lead productive, successful alcohol and drug-free lives.
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The issue of underage drinking is a complex problem, one that can only be solved through a cooperative effort between parents, schools, community leaders,
and the children themselves.
Three areas have proven to be effective in prevention of underage alcohol and substance use: curtailing the availability of alcohol, consistent enforcement
of existing laws and regulations, and changing cultural misconceptions and behaviors through education.
Consider some facts related to underage alcohol use:
- Alcohol is a factor in the four leading causes of death among persons ages 10- 24 through motor vehicle crashes, unintentional injuries, homicide and
suicide.
- Approximately 9.7 million current drinkers in the United States are between the ages of 12-20.
- Alcohol is the drug most frequently used by high-school seniors.
- Young people begin drinking on average at12.6 years of age, and begin drinking regularly at 14.5 years of age (2006 MT Prevention Needs Assessment).
- Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.
Let�s get started on the solution as a community. We can�t afford to wait any longer when it comes to the safety of our children.
This parenting guide is intended to educate you, to let you know that you aren't alone with your challenges as a parent or guardian. |
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Facts taken from
the 2006 MT Prevention Needs Assessment
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The majority of MT youth plan to drink alcohol (74.5%) -- 11.2% plan to smoke marijuana.
Only 5.6% plan to smoke cigarettes.
In 2006, 53.8% of Montana 12th graders, 40.7% of 10th graders, and 23.3% of 8th graders, had consumed alcohol in the past thirty days.
76% of Gallatin County 12th grade students have had at least one drink in their lifetime.
53.3% of Gallatin County 12th grade students have had a drink in the past
thirty days.
36.1% of Gallatin County 12th grade students report having had 5 or more alcoholic drinks in a row at least once in the past two weeks.
45.5% of Gallatin County 12th grade students have tried marijuana,
21% have smoke marijuana in the last thirty days.
7% of
Gallatin County 12th grade students have tried methamphetamines. 14.5% have tried cocaine.
5.2% of Gallatin County 12th grade students are daily cigarette smokers. 7.5% use
smokeless tobacco once a week or more.
The presence and availability of drugs and illegal substances in Gallatin County is an
ongoing threat to our youth. Young people who are trying to self-medicate need help
with their underlying problems. They need professional treatment. |
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-Other Parenting Resource Pages -
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Other resources:
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Adolescent Resource Center
(406) 586-5908
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