"We need to count the problem. Nothing exists unless we count it." -- Therapist, Truth or Consequences
Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of New Mexico’s youth, and alcohol is a factor in nearly half of these deaths. During the past six years (1990-1995), 320 people under 21 were killed and 4,620 severely injured in alcohol-involved crashes. Impaired drivers under 21 were responsible for most of them. Underage drinking is also a major factor in teen suicide, violence, juvenile crime, unplanned pregnancies, and poor school performance. Although many New Mexico youth do not experience negative consequences related to underage drinking, the percentage who do is unacceptably high.
Alarmed by these figures, the New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau, together with Safer New Mexico Now, initiated a statewide assessment of underage drinking. This project, which began in June 1996, involved compiling statistics, administering questionnaires, and conducting focus groups and public hearings.
The following 12 communities were selected for a more detailed analysis of the problem: Acoma, Albuquerque, Clovis, Espaņola, Farmington, Gallup, Las Cruces, Roswell, Santa Fe, Silver City, Taos, and Truth or Consequences.
In July,12 community coordinators were chosen to gather information concerning local perceptions about underage drinking, its causes, and solutions. To accomplish this task, each coordinator was required to 1) interview local officials, 2) conduct focus groups with teens and parents, and 3) sponsor a public hearing on underage drinking.
This information was presented to the Underage Drinking Prevention Task Force, a 20-member panel appointed by State Highway and Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn. Its purpose was to identify problems and recommend solutions. This group, which met five times from August through December 1996, identified seven problem areas and 41 recommendations. The top 14 recommendations were selected by majority vote. These recommendations -- together with the problem statements, questionnaire results, and community profiles -- are presented in an effort to protect New Mexico’s most precious resource, its youth.
"Every party I attend has liquor. It has always been widely available to me and my friends." -- Teenage Boy, Santa Fe
It is illegal for persons under 21 to purchase, possess, or consume alcohol. Despite this fact, alcohol use is widespread among New Mexico teens. According to the 1993 school survey, 28 percent of 7th graders, 48 percent of 9th graders, and 59 percent of 12th graders reported drinking at least one beer, wine or wine cooler within the past month. Sixty-one percent of high school seniors claimed that alcohol and drugs were a problem in their schools (NM Children, Youth, and Families 1994). Some believe the rates are even higher. According to a teenager from Silver City:
"If you were to pass 10 students in the hall, nine out of these 10 are going to get drunk over the weekend; four are going to get drunk during lunch."
Underage drinking is even more common at the college level. According to a 1995 University of New Mexico survey, 64 percent of students under 21 claimed they had used alcohol within the past 30 days. Thirty-six percent reported they had "binged" during the past two weeks: i.e. had five or more drinks at a sitting (Woodall et al 1996).
Like the teen from Silver City, UNM undergraduates perceive that most students drink heavily. But is this belief correct? To answer this question, over 900 undergraduates were questioned about alcohol use on campus and their perceptions compared with actual usage rates (Woodall et al 1996). Ninety-two percent of respondents claimed that the average UNM student drinks at least once a week. In reality, less than 20 percent drink this often. Similarly, 95 percent said that the average student had binged (at least 5 drinks at a time) at least once within the past two weeks. In actuality, less than a third (31 percent) had engaged in this behavior. The latter included older students as well as those under 21. The researchers concluded that:
"Most of the campus community, including faculty and staff members, consistently overestimate the number of students who drink heavily and use other drugs." (Woodall et al 1996)
Such beliefs can lead to increased use, as some strive to conform with what they perceive as the norm. Conversely, alcohol consumption can be reduced by educating people about the real norms. When such feedback was provided to a group of "heavy-drinking" UNM psychology students, most cut down on their drinking in an effort to conform to the actual norms (Agostinelli et al 1995). UNM currently sponsors a normative education program, which uses the campus newspaper and local radio stations to correct the impression that "everyone drinks."
Such a program might be useful at the high school level. Although many teens don’t drink, most consider it normal behavior -- a situation not unique to New Mexico. In a recent study of midwestern adolescents, Thomas (1996) points out that alcohol use is now viewed as "mainstream rather than problem behavior." Similarly, Augustyn and Simons-Morton (1995: 45) state that one reason why adolescents drink and drive is their perception that drinking and driving is "normative behavior."
Some teens view drinking as a reward for good behavior.
"If I’m good and go to class all week, then I deserve a beer." -- Teenage girl, Las Cruces
It’s doubtful she would have any trouble in getting that beer, for as the Las Cruces coordinator pointed out:
"Teens made it painfully clear that alcohol did not seem illegal because it was too easy to obtain."
Older friends and adults are the most frequently cited sources. Younger adolescents tend to get alcohol from older relatives. According to the 1993 school survey, 7th graders obtain it primarily from parents. However, as others point out:
"Kids can buy liquor themselves if they’re persistent enough." -- Teen, Silver City
"It’s easy for a minor to get a false driver’s license; all they need is a social security card and a birth certificate." -– College Student, Santa Fe
Selling to a minor is a 4th degree felony, which carries a fine of up to $5,000 and up to 18 months imprisonment (Liquor Control Act 60-7A-4.1). The minor who "possesses" it could be fined up to $500 and, if over 18, could serve up to 6 months in jail (Liquor Control Act 60-7B-7) A person under 18 faces up to 15 days detention and a one-to-two-year commitment to a rehab facility (Children’s Code 32A-2-3A). Similar penalties apply to persons under 21 who present false identification to buy alcohol.
"The village that raised the child has broken apart." -- Father, Silver City
Today’s children are growing up in a world much different from that of their parents and grandparents. As Snyder and Sickmund (1995: 1) point out, a greater percentage of youth live in poverty today than 20 years ago. More children are born to unmarried mothers, and fewer children are being raised in two-parent families.
Today’s economy is such that even in two-parent families, both adults must work to make ends meet. Human social life, as anthropologists have observed, is basically a response to the practical problems of existence. Unfortunately, the response to current economic conditions has resulted in latchkey kids and unsupervised teens.
"Now we don’t have parents at home, so there’s no supervision. Kids who come from single parents or divorced parents have nobody to talk to, so they talk to their peers . They look to them for solutions." -- Parent, Santa Clara
"If we are not spending quality time with them, we are letting them do their own thing." -- Mayor, Taos
"Their own thing" may involve drinking, as was the case with a young girl attending a treatment program in Taos. As she explained:
"Why should we listen to parents? They are never there for us."
Many of the youth who testified expressed feelings of alienation not only from their parents, but from society as well. As an adult from T or C observed:
"Much of the alcohol consumption and the need to congregate in situations that promote use are a result of teens feeling alienated."
Parents also expressed concern. Some felt they had little control over their children and that their efforts to discipline them were compromised by permissive authorities. As a mother from Albuquerque pointed out, "kids have more rights than parents." Others attributed the problem to society’s failure to provide parents with the support they need to raise healthy, capable children.
"People saying that parents need to be more responsible as the entire solution are only shirking their own responsibility to society and our youth." -- Woman, T or C
The village that raised the child has changed. In many cases, the old rules no longer apply and new ones are not yet in place. This has taken a toll on our communities, families, and especially our youth.
Alcohol and High-Risk Behavior
Alcohol use is also influenced by teens’ perceptions of "harmful consequences" and their ability to avoid them. According to a young man from Las Cruces, "teens are more responsible drinkers than most 40-year-olds." "Lowering the drinking age" was suggested during several teen focus groups. It should be noted, however, that every state now has 21-year-old minimum age drinking laws. Since 1975, motor vehicle fatalities among 18- to 20-year-olds have decreased nationwide by 13 percent. As a result, an estimated 15,667 lives have been saved (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1996b).
Among New Mexico’s youth, alcohol is a major factor in the three leading causes of death (see Table 1). Its use plays a major role in injuries, juvenile crime, unplanned pregnancies, and poor school performance. As these facts suggest, teens who drink tend to put themselves in high-risk situations.
According to a nationwide survey, over 20 percent of 19- to 20-year-old males said they had driven after drinking during the past year. Twenty percent of 16-to 20-year-olds reported riding with an impaired driver during the past year (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1996a). Available data from New Mexico indicates a much higher rate. Nearly 32 percent of high school seniors and 39 percent of University of New Mexico students claimed they had "driven after drinking during the past year" (NM Children, Youth, and Families 1994; Woodall et al 1996). According to a Santa Fe Teen Court survey, 43 percent of the 164 offenders surveyed said they had driven a car while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Over half had ridden with an impaired driver.
Underage drinking causes other problems as well. The progression from "using" to addiction occurs more rapidly in adolescents than it does in adults. When this happens, cognitive development -- the ability to reason, think in abstract terms and measure the future consequences of one’s actions -- is suspended (Acoca 1995: 8).
Alcohol is also a "gateway" to illicit drug use. A recent study by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University showed that "youth who drink alcohol are 7.5 times more likely to use any illicit drug and 50 times more likely to use cocaine than young people who never drink alcohol" (National Association of Governor’s Highway Safety Representatives 1995:4). In New Mexico, the number of students who try alcohol with other drugs is increasing. In 1990, 14 percent of 9th graders and 25 percent of 12th graders experimented with alcohol and drugs, compared to 20 percent of 9th graders and 28 percent of 12th graders in 1993 (NM Children, Youth, and Families 1993:6). In short, to quote a recent study:
"Underage access to alcohol is one of the most pressing health and social problems faced by our nation’s youth (Join Together 1995: 4)."
Death and Injury
Motor Vehicle Fatal Crashes. In New Mexico, as well as nationally, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for persons under 21. The problem, however, is more severe in New Mexico.
In 1994, New Mexico’s motor vehicle mortality rate for youth, ages 15-24, was 45 per 100,000 -- which is 54 percent higher than the national rate of 29 per 100,000 (NM Department of Health 1996b). In 1995, nearly 48 percent of New Mexico’s "under 21" fatalities involved alcohol as compared to 38 percent nationally (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1996b). Twenty-nine percent of "underage" drivers in New Mexico fatal crashes were impaired as compared to 13 percent nationally.
During the past six years (1990-1995), 654 persons under 21 died in crashes on New Mexico roadways (see Table 2). Of these, 50 percent (330) involved alcohol. Of these alcohol-related fatalities, 68 percent (226) involved impaired drivers under 21 (see Table 4). A total of 305 persons were killed in crashes involving impaired underage drivers. Seventy-four percent of these victims were also under 21 (see Table 4).
In New Mexico, drivers under 21 are almost twice as likely as other drivers to be in alcohol-involved fatal and injury crashes. As one recent study pointed out:
"Inexperience in both drinking and driving places teenagers at greater risk of being involved in traffic crashes for every drink consumed (Join Together 1995: 8)."
Young drivers are also more likely to speed and take risks than older drivers (Beer [not dated]: 3).
In addition, less alcohol is needed to impair underage drinkers -- a fact supported by New Mexico crash data. In 1995, the average BAC for underage drivers involved in crashes was .148 as compared to .184 for drivers 21 and over. Underage drivers also have a higher percentage of crash- related arrests - - 16.5 percent for adult drivers as compared to 28 per cent for those under 18.
Injury Crashes. From 1990-95, 4,620 persons under 21 were seriously injured in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes (see Table 5). Fifty-five percent (2,571) of these victims were injured in crashes involving impaired drivers under 21. In fact, of the 3,253 persons injured in crashes involving young impaired drivers, 79 percent were under 21 (Table 7).
In short, most alcohol-related crashes in which young people (under 21) are injured or killed involve impaired drivers under 21. Although persons under 21 comprise only 8 percent of licensed drivers, they comprise 16 percent of the impaired drivers in fatal crashes and 18 percent of those in severe injury crashes (1990-95).
Homicide. Homicide is the second leading cause of death for New Mexico youth. In 1995, 40 (22%) of the state’s 180 homicide victims were under 21. Of these, 15 (38%) had been drinking prior to their death (see Table 8).
Suicide. Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death for young people and approximately one-third involve alcohol (Office of the Medical Investigator 1996). In 1995, 32 persons under 21 died from suicide. Of these, 11 or 34 percent were alcohol related (see Table 8). New Mexico’s rate of 25.5 suicides per 100,000 youth is nearly 90 percent higher than the national rate of 13.5. New Mexico, in fact, is second in the nation for suicides, 60 percent of which involve firearms. Of the 298 cases reported in 1995, 11 percent involved youth under 21.
Crime
"Alcohol is at the epicenter of all juvenile problems." -- Juvenile Probation Officer, Gallup
Juvenile arrests increased 35 percent during the last three years and are expected to double by the year 2000. New Mexico officials are concerned that without effective intervention, "the proportion of kids in high crime age groups will continue to grow well into the next century" (NM Children, Youth, and Families 1995a).
Substance abuse is a key factor in this burgeoning crime rate. During the past four years, substance abuse offenses, including alcohol-related traffic violations, increased by 57 percent -- from 5,975 in FY 1993 to 10,472 in FY 1996 (NM Children, Youth, and Families 1993, 1996). In 1996, they comprised 28 percent of all referrals to New Mexico’s juvenile justice system (see Table 9).
A national survey of youth in custody reports that 48 percent of juveniles committed their offenses while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Upon entering the detention center, one-third tested positive for one or more drugs. Sixty percent reported using drugs on a regular basis (Snyder and Sickmund 1995: 64). According to McLellan and Dembo (1995 :39):
"It is estimated that up to 250,000 adolescents who enter the juvenile justice system in the United States each year have a diagnosable alcohol or drug disorder."
The rates are even higher in New Mexico. A 1994 study of 180 incarcerated juveniles revealed that 67 percent had consumed alcohol and 71 percent had used marijuana within the past 30 days. Although 27 percent met the criteria for alcohol dependence and 37 percent were at risk for alcohol problems, only seven percent thought they needed treatment (NM Department of Health 1995). A 1995 study of 597 incarcerated juveniles revealed that 63 percent have a substance abuse problem and 61 percent have immediate family members who abuse drugs or alcohol (NM Children, Youth, and Families 1995b).
Social Problems
"We look at ourselves as the bum generation. It’s so hard to get respect. Maybe if I drink and act like a grownup I’ll get it." --- Teenager, Santa Fe
Sexual Risk Taking. Teens report they are more likely to have sex and less likely to use condoms if they or their partner have been drinking (Join Together 1995: 5). According to the 1993 New Mexico Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Gray et al 1993):
"Of those who have ever had sexual intercourse (55.5%), one in four (27.8%) drank alcohol or used drugs before they had sexual intercourse the last time."
In New Mexico, 67 percent of the 12th graders surveyed claimed they had engaged in sexual intercourse. Of these students, 48 percent reported that either they or their partner had used a condom the last time they had sex. Nationally, 53 percent of youth surveyed reported they had engaged in sexual intercourse. Of these youth, 25 percent said they used alcohol or drugs before the last episode (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services 1996). However, 55 percent reported that a condom was used the last time they had sexual intercourse. In a recent adolescent risk behavior survey (1992-96), 2,908 detained juvenile offenders were asked if they ever "get high before sex." Forty- two percent of males and 40 percent of females responded "yes" (NM Department of Health 1996a).
The use of alcohol may also expose adolescents to unwanted sexual attention. Of the 366 underage students surveyed by the University of New Mexico (Woodall et al 1996), 12 percent claimed they were taken advantage of sexually as the result of using alcohol or drugs. Four percent said they had taken sexual advantage of someone else.
The use of alcohol and drugs places the adolescent at greater risk for a sexually transmitted disease (STD), for as Biro (1992:5) points out:
"Use of even moderate amounts of alcohol or marijuana predicts . . . less use of safer sex behaviors, such as partner selection or use of barrier methods."
One result of high-risk sexual behavior is increased exposure to disease.
"Alcohol use needs to be considered as an important risk factor for HIV infection and other STDs." (Zenilman 1994: 224)
It’s estimated that one out of every six sexually active teens is infected with an STD (Gray 1993). In New Mexico, the two most prevalent age groups for gonorrhea are teens (15-19) and young adults ( 20-24). Bernalillo County’s STD clinic, the largest in the state, reports that 27 percent of its female clients and 13 percent of its male clients are under 20.
AIDS cases are relatively rare among New Mexico teens. Of the 1,434 AIDS cases reported from 1981-1996, four involved teens and none were the result of sexual transmission. However, data provided by the Department of Health’s HIV Epidemiology Unit suggest that during this period, at least 250 teens would have tested positive for HIV.
Another result of unprotected sex is unplanned pregnancy. This results in more than one million pregnancies and over half a million births to teenage girls each year (Join Together 1995: 5). Many are unmarried. Of those living in single parent households, 50 percent live below the poverty line. The problem is even more serious in New Mexico, which has one of the highest teen birth rates in the country. Nationally, 13 percent of all births are to teenage women. In New Mexico, the rate is 18 percent. Nearly 80 percent of these teen mothers are unmarried (NM Department of Health 1996b).
Alcohol and drug use is common among New Mexico’s pregnant teens. Nearly 39 percent of the 925 teens seeking pregnancy tests at local health clinics reported using alcohol (Martin and Hall 1996b). Nearly 48 percent use tobacco and 27 percent, marijuana. Nearly half (47.6%) of these women (all age groups) tested positive for pregnancy. Alcohol use, however, varied according to whether the pregnancy was intended (20% use rate) or unplanned (41% use rate). Teenage girls who drink heavily could be paving the way for future problems. Although the average age of mothers who give birth to a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is between 28-32, most began drinking in their teens.
Poor School Performance. Students who make poor grades are more likely to have experimented with and use alcohol or drugs. Fewer have participated in extracurricular activities. They are also more likely to drink and drive than those who make better grades. According to the 1993 school survey (NM Children, Youth and Families 1994):
"The lower the student’s grades, the greater the chance that there is use of at least one of the substances measured."
Such students are at risk for dropping out of school, which in turn may contribute to heavier drinking and ultimately "adult onset of alcoholism" (Join Together 1995: 6). New Mexico’s annual high school dropout rate is 8.3 percent (Martin and Hall 1996a), which means that 33 percent of students who enter the 9th grade drop out before they graduate. Dropping out of school may also be a factor in juvenile crime. Of the 597 juveniles incarcerated in New Mexico facilities, 67 percent had dropped out of school (NM Children, Youth, and Families 1995b). A Santa Fe study revealed that 31 percent of adult DWI offenders never completed high school (Lewis and Scarpellino 1994).
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