Sonoma County

Ellen Jones Bauer, M.P.P., Ph.D.
Program Planner / Analyst
Sonoma County Department of Health Services
Prevention and Planning Division
475 Aviation Boulevard, Suite 210
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Direct phone: (707) 565-6684
Fax: (707) 565-6619
EBAUER@sonoma-county.org

Barbara Graves
Director
Sonoma County Department of Health Services
Prevention and Planning Division
475 Aviation Boulevard, Suite 210
Santa Rosa, CA 95403 (707) 565-6629
bgraves@sonoma-county.org

Sonoma County is using its grant to provide education and alternatives for the two college campuses within the county: Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University.

A factor that may add to the college setting as a high-risk environment for binge drinking is that youths on college campuses are targets of heavy marketing of alcoholic beverages. Beer companies are especially active in promoting to college students. Student newspapers and campus bulletin boards boast ads for happy hours with price reductions and other incentives that promote heavy drinking. Representatives of the alcohol industry, including producers, wholesalers, and retailers, sponsor campus social, sporting, and cultural events, even on campuses where the majority of participants are under the age of 21. If you are age 21 and over -- drink responsibly, but you already know that.

How Can Teens Avoid Drinking?
This is a tough question. With alcohol so prevalent, how can you avoid it? After all, you want to fit in with the crowd and be liked by your friends and many of them will be drinking. You can always say your parents have caught you drinking, and to get caught again would result in 'getting grounded'. But it is best to be honest with your friends. Tell them you don't like to drink because it changes the way your feel or your personality. Your real friends will understand and may even respect you for that. Try to plan ahead to avoid gatherings where you know alcohol is going to be served.

Report:
Culture in State of 'Crisis'
NIAAA Task Force on College Drinking report: "A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges."

7 Easy Steps
These 7 steps should help you be
as prepared as possible to help deter
your children from underage drinking.
Call (707) 565-6684

Binge drinking, or the partying lifestyle of young people may be related to an environment that appears to support heavy drinking. Teenagers report that alcohol is more easily available to them today than it was 5 years ago, and there is a high correlation between availability and use. In addition, alcoholic beverages remain inexpensive in comparison with other beverages, especially beer when purchased in kegs, often the center of a college party or even a teenage party.