Myths vs. Stats in Marshall County

DID YOU KNOW...?

Myth: Underage drinking is not an issue in our community.

Fact: 6.2% of Marshall County elementary students, 12.8% of Marshall County junior high students, and 36.2% of Marshall County high school students reported using alcohol monthly. The age that most Marshall County students first used alcohol: elementary age 10, junior high age 11, and high school age 13. (West Virginia State Police, 2001-2003; Pride Survey, 2005)

Myth: When young people underage drink, they drink at their friends’ home.

Fact: Those Marshall County students who reported that they drink alcohol indicated that they most commonly consume it in their own home on the weekends.

Myth: Youth want their parents to provide alcohol at their parties so that the youth will be perceived to be “cool” by their peers.

Fact: According to data obtained from Gold, Khourey, & Turak’s “Booze, Cruise, and You’ll Lose” program, 56% of juniors and seniors at Cameron High School, 64% of John Marshall High School students, and 75.5% of Bishop Donahue High School students think that it is NOT okay for a parent to host an underage party, with alcohol, for their child.

Myth: Most adults do not permit or condone underage drinking.

Fact: At a preventing underage drinking forum held at John Marshall High School in December 2005, it was revealed 74.64% of adult respondents to a household survey administered throughout Marshall County indicated that underage drinking is a "RITE OF PASSAGE."