COMMUNITY PROFILES
Twelve coordinators were selected to produce profiles of underage drinking in their communities. Included in each profile is a description of local perceptions about the extent and cause of the problem. A brief discussion of these findings, based on the summary provided by each coordinator, is presented below. Included is a list of their major recommendations.
Acoma Pueblo Cibola County |
During the past six years (1990-1995), six youth were killed and 65 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- Cibola County.
Perception -- Acoma community members are deeply concerned about the underage drinking problem. No segment of the Pueblo population, even the underage drinkers themselves, viewed the problem as minor. Every single family at the Pueblo has been impacted by the problem, and the collective prediction is that the problem will worsen before it gets better.
Cause -- A breakdown in family structure and a corresponding loss of strong family values have been implicated by tribal leaders as reasons for increased rates of alcohol and drug use among youth. Most community members were in unanimous agreement that Acoma youth drink because: 1) they lack a strong value system; 2) they fail to follow Acoma ways and traditions; 3) they lack alternative activities; and 4) they have easy access to alcohol.
Recommendations -- Community members are hopeful that future generations will be the instruments of change.
Albuquerque Bernalillo County
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During the past six years (1990-1995), 38 youth were killed and 618 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- Bernalillo County.
Perception -- In reviewing the information gathered through the focus groups, public hearings, interviews, and statistics, there is a very serious problem with underage drinking in Bernalillo County. There was a pervasive feeling that ‘young people drinking’ is normal, expected behavior. There was frustration from some of the kids, who asked, "Why can’t we make being sober as much fun as getting intoxicated?" Some of the most compelling testimony came from the irate mom and the teen who was trying to overcome her alcohol addiction. The mom’s comment that "kids have more rights than parents" was a stark truth. The teen’s comment: "I went to the school counselor and told her I thought I had a problem with alcohol and she said ‘no, you have good grades and you come from a good family.’" It’s very sad indeed when an adult cannot hear a child’s cry for help.
Cause -- There is easy access to alcohol by youth, who use fake IDs to buy it themselves or who get an adult or family member to purchase it for them. Drive-up windows contribute to this problem. Some families don’t care whether minors drink and may even encourage it. Consequences through the juvenile justice system vary and depend on whether the minor has prior offenses. The detention center won’t accept intoxicated juvenile offenders, nor will the hospital admit them solely because they’re intoxicated. Officers are thus forced to call parents to pick up their child. The Children’s Code limits the consequences for minors charged with DWI or who committed other crimes while intoxicated.
Recommendations -- What has been found to be an overwhelming problem is now getting the discussion and awareness needed to create the positive changes necessary to solve this serious issue.
Clovis Curry County |
During the past six years (1990-1995), 3 youth were killed and 43 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- Curry County.
Perception -- Everyone involved in this study agrees that we have a serious underage drinking problem in our community. The teenagers felt that the adults either didn’t know about the problem or just didn’t know what to do about it. Adults felt that teenagers just don’t know what can happen, because they feel immortal.
Cause -- The biggest problem seems to be the lack of funding for activities for teens. Other problems include lack of education in the elementary and high school grades, adult accountability for providing alcohol to teens, enforcement of existing laws, and lack of parental involvement and accountability.
Recommendations -- Drawing on information presented at the hearings, focus groups, and interviews, the coordinator made the following recommendations:
Espaņola Rio Arriba County
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During the past six years (1990-1995), 16 youth were killed and 123 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- Rio Arriba County.
Perception -- Espaņola’s perception about the extent of the underage drinking problem versus the reality is practically the same. Based on the statistics and insight I’ve obtained from my research , attitudes about the seriousness of the problem are accurate. The majority of individuals will tell you we have an epidemic which is taking the lives of our children.
Causes -- Espaņola’s perception as to the causes are many. It was stated that parents have to become responsible and take charge of their households. They have to make their children accountable and provide positive role models. Certainly poverty is a cause of the problem. This is compounded when the dominant society teaches our children that if you are to be successful, you have to focus on individualism and materialism. Consequently, some parents try to buy their children’s love and forget to communicate with them.
Recommendations -- We have to make underage drinking an issue in Espaņola and the state. DWI funding should be re-directed for an underage drinking initiative.
Farmington San Juan County |
During the past six years (1990-1995), 32 youth were killed and 223 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- San Juan County.
Perception -- In San Juan County, underage drinking is a big problem among all cultures. The community’s perception is that underage drinking is a serious problem that needs to be looked at more carefully. The perception of youth, however, is that teenage drinking has become more acceptable in homes, and parents are more lenient about youth using alcohol. They also felt that the problem seemed to be diminishing as they got older.
Cause -- From the focus group response, there seemed to be a consensus that drinking among youth was "part of growing up." Both youth and adults felt that punishment by law enforcement, parents, and school was not strict enough to keep teens from doing it again. Many parents allow more "space" to their children as they enter high school, but forget to listen to where they will be, who they will be with, and what hour they will return. Other causes include a "lack of better things to do" and lack of education for students and parents.
Recommendations -- Recommendations were strongly geared towards parental involvement with their kids. I personally feel we need to educate more parents and listen to what our children are telling us, no matter how hectic our lives seem to be. Teens, on the other hand, felt that if there were more "safe places" for them to visit with each other in the evening, recreational drinking would not be as big of a problem.
Gallup McKinley
County |
During the past six years (1990-1995), 26 youth were killed and 135 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- McKinley County.
Perception -- Based on the information gathered during the interviews, focus groups, and public hearing, Gallup believes there is an underage drinking problem. The sad reality in Gallup is that while underage drinking is a problem, it is overshadowed by its relative, chronic alcoholism. Against this backdrop, the problem of underage drinking has a hard time reaching center stage.
Cause -- The primary causes are community and societal acceptance of underage use of alcohol, the ease of access to alcohol, the perception there is nothing for youth to do, and a lack of supervision driven by economics. Many households have all of the available parents working. Together these causes and community trends point to a larger problem. Gallup is a community where alcohol is not only a way of life, it is the primary benefactor of the community.
Recommendations -- Each of these causes alone seems to be easily solved. Change the acceptance through education, close outlets to limit access, and provide supervised activities for youth.
Las Cruces Doņa Ana County
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During the past six years (1990-1995), 16 youth were killed and 301 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- Doņa Ana County.
Perception -- Both parents and teens stated that underage drinking is a big problem in our area. Throughout this experience, however, there were several revelations. First and foremost was access to alcohol. The second eye-opener was the reasoning for drinking. It was the opinion of the juveniles that if they behaved, attended class, and followed rules, they deserved a drink. This demonstrated the magnitude of the problem and was substantiated by the public hearing.
Cause -- There is blatant and total disregard for the law by those under 21. There is no fear of authority, and even thrills are generated from not getting caught. There was talk about this problem relating to learned behaviors in the home. If mom and dad do not care if the child uses alcohol or are not home to supervise, the teen feels the freedom to make his own decision. Teens also made it painfully clear that alcohol did not seem illegal because it was too easy to obtain.
Recommendations -- In response to the question of what can your community do to curb underage drinking, the standard teen answer was "more things to do." The parents took a different view. They wanted accountability and responsibility rather than recreation. My recommendation, however, is to push for the local option alcohol excise tax. A five percent tax on liquor would generate $1.1 million for this county alone to develop and implement programs that are so desperately needed. The cry from the community was "programs." However, we need funds for these programs. This seems like the perfect time for this option to be sent to the counties. They are asking for it, so let them decide.
Roswell Chaves County |
During the past six years (1990-1995), 2 youth were killed and 67 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- Chaves County.
Perception -- Adults see that there is a problem with teens drinking. The general theme of the adult focus group was that there’s a "huge problem." Other comments indicated that most teenagers are going to be drinking alcohol on every weekend, somewhere. Teens also indicated that "almost everyone does it." The lack of enforcement -- due to a low priority -- gives way to tacit approval of a situation that is inherently dangerous.
Cause -- Too many young folks are not dealt with in a serious manner. The general perception is that there are no immediate, meaningful consequences for juveniles who consume liquor illegally. The minors interviewed implied that teens drink because it’s worth the risk and "there isn’t anything else to do." However, the testimony at the public hearing tells a different story -- that parents need to take responsibility for their actions and the actions of their children.
Recommendations -- It is highly recommended that consequences [for juvenile offenders] include a comprehensive community service program administered through the Roswell Independent School District’s existing program.
Santa Fe Santa Fe County |
During the past six years (1990-1995), 7 youth were killed and 168 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- Santa Fe County.
Perception -- The community perceives the underage drinking problem to be significant. They see the consequences as death and injury to and by teens; lack of motivation by teens; anger tuning into violence; and other anti-social behavior.
Cause -- The community believes that laws are not enforced and that parents need to be more active in their children’s lives. It seems that parents tend to blame law enforcement or the courts, law enforcement blames the parents, agencies blame advertisers, schools blame parents, parents blame the schools, and teens blame community leaders and the community in general for not caring about or respecting their needs. Everyone seems to blame each other, yet no one sees that all may be to blame.
Recommendations -- Parents want more education programs at an earlier age and more activities in and out of school. Law enforcement wants parents to take a greater role in talking to and educating their children and responding to their children’s needs.
Silver City Grant County |
During the past six years (1990-1995), 6 youth were killed and 79 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- Grant County.
Perception -- The perception of this problem varied among different groups. The boys’ focus groups did not really see underage drinking as a serious problem. The other groups did see it as a serious problem. However, the problem for most people is not as devastating as our statistics indicate. It was also perceived that parents don’t understand the extent of the risks involved in underage drinking. They refer back to their youth -- "I did it and I’m okay now." As a community, we look through the window and realize that there is an underage drinking problem, yet we don’t want to go inside, see it, or touch it.
Cause -- The primary cause of our problem is the social acceptance of alcohol in our community. Alcohol is served at most social functions: i.e., weddings and anniversaries.
Recommendations -- The underage drinking problem is our community’s responsibility. A single place to start is to get more of the community together to acknowledge the problem. For example, put pressure on businesses to follow the laws, control alcohol advertising, enforce curfew laws, and impose stricter consequences and follow through for substance abuse offenses. Everyone needs to take responsibility to provide our youth good role models and encourage positive, healthy lifestyles.
Taos Taos County |
During the past six years (1990-1995), 9 youth were killed and 52 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 --Taos County.
Perception -- The problem of underage drinking in Taos County is extreme. Youth seem not to be informed of the long-term and life-threatening aspect of this behavior and do not seem to fear any consequences. I have found that both teens and adults alike have little factual knowledge about the medical consequences of alcohol abuse and about the process leading to abuse and addiction. Episodic, heavy drinking appears to be the norm for teens. In my experience as DWI coordinator, I have found that there is very little dialogue about drinking norms, which would help to promote conscious change for the better.
Cause -- The main belief in Taos County (both adults and youth) as to the primary cause of teenage drinking is that there is nothing for teenagers to do. A second main belief is peer pressure. There is a lack of commitment of resources aimed at youth compared to adults. Causes of the problem such as lack of quality time within families, negative judgments of youth by adults, negative modeling of behavior by adults, and lack of youth activities have been mentioned. However, there seems to be little in-depth exploration of these factors and certainly no movement towards acceptance of responsibility by the community.
Recommendations -- The first 12 recommendations were suggested by community members; the last five by the coordinator.
Truth or Consequences Sierra County Marta Ryals, Coordinator |
During the past six years (1990-1995), 3 youth were killed and 18 seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers under 21 -- Sierra County.
Perception -- Teens in both focus groups agreed that there is a high number of youth in Sierra County that use alcohol on a regular basis. The girls viewed it as a very serious problem and many stated that adults do not care or are not aware of their children’s alcohol use. The boys, on the other hand, felt their drinking was not a problem as long as they dealt with it responsibly. Adults also agreed that underage drinking is a big problem in this community. Although the adults think they have an idea of how bad the problem is, after listening to the youth focus groups, I feel that most would be surprised at what really goes on.
Cause -- Most of the girls agreed that the reason why youth drink is to have a good time, to be rebellious, or to be part of the crowd. The main reason most adults felt youth drink is because of lack of activities.
Recommendations -- The following recommendations were generated by the focus groups, public hearings, and community coordinator.
