‘Hard to dream if you’re drunk’

LIHU‘E — Kapa‘a High School students Kaitlyn Jarry and Kyara Bunao got the message the day before their school prom.

“Don’t Be a Fool, Drinking Isn‘t Cool ” is the theme of this year’s Prevention of Underage Drinking Initiative, Challenge2Change, which was introduced on April 1 to government leaders, representatives of Kaua‘i’s middle and high schools and a large number of students from Kamehameha Schools who were home for spring break.

“As a parent of a student in the sixth grade, I totally support this initiative,”  said William Arakakai, the Kaua‘i Complex Area superintendent. “This is my last chance to do something as a parent. ”

Brenda Jose, Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol coordinator from the county’s anti-drug office, moderated the gathering.

“There is ‘change’ in challenge,”  she said. “Be a part of the movement to prevent underage drinking.” 

The average age of first use of alcohol on Kaua‘i by male children is 11, and for females, 13, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. recently highlighted that fact in a proclamation announcing April as National Alcohol Awareness Month.

Friends are the most common source of alcohol among 82 percent of Kaua‘i’s intermediate school students who use alcohol. Among sixth- to 12th-grade students, 40 percent report being offered alcohol from friends.

Four percent of Hawai‘i’s sixth-graders, 15 percent of eighth-graders, 27 percent of 10th-graders and 36 percent of 12th-graders consumed alcohol within the past 30 days, according to the latest monthly prevalence reports of alcohol use.

Additionally, 13.4 percent of Hawai‘i’s eighth-graders, 33.4 percent of 10th-graders, and 51.6 percent of 12th-graders drank alcohol within the past 30 days, according to the report.

Jose suggests it is necessary to change the community norms where adults stop asking underage relatives to get a beer for them from the cooler, keeping an eye on neighborhood stores and the accessibility of alcoholic products for underage shoppers, being aware of the media messages being sent to young consumers, targeting underage consumers, and strict underage drinking policies.

“We have a containers rule on campuses,”  Arakaki said. “These rules are in place to keep the campuses safe from alcohol. ”

Jose said the concern with the mass media messages is the wave of new alcoholic beverages designed and marketed to underage shoppers, many containing as many as three or four cans of beer in a single container.

Calling on Kaua‘i County Council members who were in attendance, Jose was reassured of the island’s watchdog stance against this new wave of alcoholic beverages because almost all of the council members had not seen the product at stores on Kaua‘i.

But they, along with some of the Project Grad leaders who were present, were shocked to learn that the recently marketed alcohol-infused whipped cream is now available in a local supermarket.

Preventing substance abuse and promoting healthy family lifestyles are cost-effective and help prevent negative consequences such as impaired health, violence, child abuse and neglect and crime, Carvalho said in his proclamation.

The county, in partnership with other government agencies, businesses, law enforcement, education, health and human services and community groups are sponsoring family-friendly outdoor movie night events during April to allow the public to engage in alcohol-free activities and start a “Call to Action” for the public to become involved in the prevention of underage drinking.

A predominance of rainbows, hearts of aloha and love, clean water, fishes, and trees emerged from an exercise guided by Jose as people penned out their vision for 2050 on Kaua‘i.

“It’s all about dreams,”  Arakaki said. “But it’s hard to dream if you’re drunk.”

Call the county anti-drug office at 241-4926 for more information.