Signs are beginning to go up all over town. Parents are signing the pledge to support their children and provide a safe place for children to thrive.
Clay Counts is kicking off the #NotInMyHouse Campaign. Look for yard signs, social media posts, and special events coming your way to support our youth as they head into the spring season.
In Clay County, as the #1 drug of choice by adults and teens, alcohol is a very socially accepted drug. For some, alcohol use is seen as a rite of passage from adulthood all the way down to those teenage years. The chart below shows the past 30-day use percentage of students that report using specific substances. 20.13% of Clay County kids report using alcohol.
Our local data shows that the majority of youth that are drinking alcohol are drinking the alcohol at home. Of the students who report drinking alcohol, 72.55% of the students in our county are drinking at home. This is significantly higher than the state average of 53.76% and much higher than the figures from 2016.
Not In My House is an initiative created to combat these statistics. We strive to empower parents and other adults over 21 to take ownership over their homes to not provide an environment to drink alcohol. Allowing youth to drink at home is not safer, it actually enables illegal behavior. Be a parent, not a friend.
As we head into the spring with spring break, prom, and graduations just around the corner, the following tips may help parents to be aware of teen alcohol use in the home.
Parents and other adults: It's important to show you disapprove of underage drinking. There is no safe level of exposure to alcohol for a developing brain. Try framing conversations around your concern for the wellness and success of the young people in your life. Try this : "Because I want you to be healthy and have the best future possible, I expect that you won't drink alcohol before age 21."
Even parents who don’t host underage drinking parties can become unwitting sources of alcohol for teens. Make sure to monitor and keep track of any alcohol in your home. Pro tip: Leaving a teen home alone? Snap a photo of any alcohol stored in the house and check again when you get home.
Understand the laws: Unlawfully hosting minors consuming alcoholic liquor or cereal malt beverage is a class A person misdemeanor, for which the minimum fine is $1,000. KSA 21-5608
Source: kctcdata.org
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