JACKSON, MISS– April is Alcoholism Awareness Month, and this year the focus is on talking to your children about the dangers of alcohol.
The theme of this year’s Alcoholism Awareness is “Talk Early, Talk Often: Parents Can Make a Difference in Teen Alcohol Use.”
Experts say you should start talking early and continue the conversation about alcohol and addiction to your children to decrease their chances of struggling with it later on in life.
In Mississippi, teens are experimenting with alcohol in high school, according to the Office of Adolescent Health, a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services. In 2011, 37% of surveyed high school males in Mississippi admitted to having at least one drink within 30 days of the study; 35% females admitted to that level of experimentation.
Of those surveyed, 24% of those minors admitted to having their first alcoholic drink, more than a few sips, before their 13th birthday. That’s higher than the national average, at 20%.
