from Staff
Attorney General Bill McCollum today issued a consumer advisory encouraging parents to talk to their teenagers about safe driving practices on New Year’s Eve. The Attorney General noted that during 2006, Florida experienced more than 1,300 alcohol-related traffic fatalities and of those, 158 involved children under the age of 21.
McCollum emphasized the importance of having parents engage their children in conversations about the dangers of underage drinking and driving, particularly on a holiday night with potentially high numbers of intoxicated drivers.
“Young people need to know that they are responsible for their safety and only by making smart decisions can they protect themselves and potentially those around them,” said McCollum. “With an increased number of drivers on the road during the holidays, teen drivers need to be especially cautious behind the wheel and should be strongly admonished not to drink.”
He also noted that parents and adults should never provide alcohol to underage children, regardless of the situation. In May, McCollum helped launch a public awareness campaign intended to prevent underage drinking. “We Don’t Serve Teens,” developed by the Federal Trade Commission and the Century Council, is an initiative designed to inform adults that providing underage youth with alcohol is unsafe, illegal and irresponsible.
“Study after study shows teens are obtaining alcohol from people they already know and kids are citing their parents as the leading influence over their decision to drink — or not to drink — alcohol,” said McCollum.
According to a survey conducted by the Century Council, a not-for-profit organization funded by America’s leading distillers dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking, 96 percent of adults said it is unacceptable for another parent or other adult to provide alcohol to their teenager without their permission. Further, all survey respondents said if they learned another parent or adult had provided alcohol to their teenager without their permission, they would consider taking legal recourse against the other parent or their child.
“Underage drinking is illegal and dangerous, and when you add a vehicle to the equation, it can be deadly. Parents wield more power than they might think,” said Susan Molinari, chairman of the Century Council. “Parents have the greatest influence over a teen’s decision to drink — or not to drink — alcohol. Talk to your teens about the dangers of underage drinking.”
McCollum also released the following tips for parents to encourage safety on New Year’s Eve:
• Make sure your child has a plan for the evening and that you know it, including where they’ll be staying if they don’t plan to return home.
• Know all of the “hot spot” destinations.
• Communicate with other parents, particularly the ones who may be hosting any parties your child may attend.
• Take stock of the alcohol in your home and make sure none of it is unaccounted for.
• Know who is driving and encourage your children to offer to drive if they have had nothing to drink.
• Encourage seat belt use—the best accessory!
• Do not rent hotel rooms for New Year’s Eve partiers.
• If your children plan to return home for the evening, stay up and wait for them.