North Carolina leaders worried about underage drinking
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Gov. Pat McCrory and Lt. Governor Dan Forest said Wednesday that parents are the key to ending underage drinking.
They urged parents to talk sooner to their children -- particularly middle-school students -- about the dangers.
The two leaders -- along with state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission Chairman Jim Gardner --unveiled a website Wednesday outlining the negative results of youth drinking called www.talkitoutnc.org.
The site gives tips to parents on how to speak plainly to kids about why underage drinking is dangerous.
"We must change the culture that treats underage drinking as a rite of passage or considers it less dangerous than drug abuse," said McCrory. "The reality is more teens die as a result of alcohol use than all other illicit drugs combined. Targeting our efforts toward the younger population will hopefully help stop substance abuse before it starts."
An ABC Commission initiative surveyed North Carolina students and parents over the summer. It found more than one-third of eighth-graders had drunk alcohol at least once.
According to the survey, 38 percent of eighth graders have had alcohol at least once. Also, 5.7 percent of seventh graders and 12.4 percent of eighth graders reported binge drinking, which is classified as five or more drinks in one sitting, during the past 30 days.
"Every day, I think about my friends," said high school senior Autumn Zimmer.
Zimmer is still recovering both emotionally and physically after a fiery crash last year sent her to the ICU and killed three of her classmates. The teens blew past a police checkpoint near Lillington after a night of drinking and slammed into a tree.
Zimmer suffered severe burns, head trauma, and dozens of broken bones.
"I was just the teenager that didn't think anything was going to happen to me, just thought I was invincible," said Zimmer.
Last year, 104 people died in North Carolina as a result of underage drinking related accidents.
The campaign will be paid for by money generated from alcohol sales and state officials plan to keep it going as long as they can to reach as many teens as possible.
There will be two television ads airing on the topic, along with social media and public events across the state.
