Fact: Teen drinking is on the declineThe Montana Office of Public Instruction reports the average age at which youth consume their first alcoholic drink is up, "general" youth drinking is down and youth binge drinking has been declining. Further, alcohol-related underage driving fatalities have been trending significantly downward.
Fact: Underage drunk driving and traffic deaths related to underage drinking are on the declineFor some reason, it is seldom reported that Montana is making very significant headway against the problem of underage drinking and the tragic accidents that can occur. But we are.
Fewer underage drivers are drinking or drunk and fewer of them are causing accidents or are involved in traffic fatalities. Youth drinking is down nationally, just as it is in Montana.
Fact: Underage drinkers mostly get illicit liquor from parents and friendsThankfully, a relatively small number (9 percent) said they get alcohol from taverns while 15 percent said they get it from stores, 20 said with fake IDs, 49 percent from someone of-age and 52 percent said from parents.
Source: Special Reports II,
published and distributed to 180,000 households state-wide, winter 2002 by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.