BARSTOW — Fifty-one percent of Barstow High School juniors said it was easy for them to get a hold of alcohol, according to the Barstow Substance Abuse-Free Environment Youth Coalition. That’s 51 percent too much, the coalition said.
Friday marked the kickoff of the SAFE Youth Coalition’s “It’s Too Easy Campaign,” intended to inform adults know “it’s not OK to look the other way or contribute to underage drinking.” The coalition announced its participation in the three-county project that aims to inform parents and adults about the dangers of underage drinking. The campaign is being launched in the San Bernardino, Los Angeles and San Diego counties.
The campaign kicked off Friday night at Bartow High School’s football game against Granite Hills as coalition members wore “Groucho Marx masks” and provided informational material.
Their message was simple — “underage drinking is not only a youth problem, it is an adult problem, too.”
The SAFE Coalition has been proactive in the community in efforts to curb underage drinking. Earlier this year the coalition conducted Pseudo Undercover Buy operations, using legal-age volunteers who appear under 21 to attempt to purchase alcohol. The operations were conducted in May, July and September. They visited 44 local businesses and the results proved the majority of businesses ask for proper identification. Only five businesses agreed to sell alcohol to patrons without asking to check their identification during the stings
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, underage drinking is a serious health concern in the United States, as alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth.
CDC officials said alcohol is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths annually among youth under 21. According to a 2005 report from the Department of Justice, youth ages 12 to 20 consume 11 percent of all alcohol in the U.S. and are more likely than other age groups to binge drink.