Three in four Oklahoma 12th graders have already had their first drink — or more.
That’s a statistic cited by Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Terri White at a public safety summit on alcohol abuse held by Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett.
Alcohol abuse is a big problem in Oklahoma, which ranks sixth in the nation in alcohol-related deaths. It’s also a big problem in Tulsa County, which has a DUI rate 20 percent higher than the state average.
White said one of the obstacles to solving Oklahoma’s alcohol abuse problem is people see drinking as a rite of passage.
"I think when people understand how dangerous the consequences are of kids of any age, before their brain is fully developed, drinking, I think people will understand how important it is that we realize this is a product that is only safe for adults in moderated quantities," White said.
White said efforts to reduce underage drinking are the best start for plans to reduce alcohol abuse. Studies show alcohol inhibits young brains’ development, setting the stage for dependency and impaired decision-making abilities.
According to the state mental health department, 72,000 Oklahomans between 12 and 20 years old binge drank in the last month. Bartlett said statistics like that caught his attention and led him to focus his third public safety summit on alcohol abuse.
"This is a societal problem, certainly, in Tulsa County," Bartlett said. "And if the mayor doesn't stand up and scream and yell about this, then that problem will continue."
The average Oklahoman has their first drink at age 12. Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler is among many who said the community needs to address underage drinking now.
"We need to be in our schools. We need to be aggressively speaking with our children and making sure they understand the traps that are right out in front of them and give them a path toward a productive life," Kunzweiler said.
Underage drinkers account for 17 percent of Oklahoma’s alcohol consumption, the third-highest proportion in the U.S.
