Guest Editorial: Playing it safe for the holidays.

Written by: Dannielle Meyer, Brazoria County Community Coalition Coordinator, BACODA

We’ve all heard of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, but do you know about “Black Wednesday”? Also known as Blackout Wednesday, it is the day before Thanksgiving and one of the biggest partying nights of the year, especially for underage drinkers.

Underage youth are able to get their hands on alcohol from older friends, siblings, or other family members. The fridge and liquor cabinets are stocked for holiday celebrations and parents are more distracted. Other parents relax their rules around the holidays and allow their kids and friends to drink at home, believing it to be a “safe” environment. According to the National Health Institute, an estimated 10.8 million underage drinkers binge drink on Black Wednesday.

It’s important for parents and all adults to know that providing alcohol to a minor is illegal. In Texas, furnishing alcohol to a minor is a Class A Misdemeanor. This can lead to penalties including up to one year in jail, a $4,000 fine, and a six-month suspension of your driver’s license. Additionally, under the Texas Social Hosting Law, you may be held liable for any damages that occur as a result of providing alcohol to minors or allowing them to drink in your home.

Not only is it illegal to provide alcohol to minors, it is dangerous. The combination of alcohol and young people can lead to many problems. Adding alcohol to celebrations increases the risk of other drug use, unprotected sex, alcohol poisoning, injury, impaired driving, and an increased chance of being a victim of theft, violence, or sexual assault. Underage drinking costs the state of Texas more than six billion dollars a year in health care costs, property damage, and loss of life and potential.

Here are some ways you can have a safe, healthy Thanksgiving holiday: Talk to your teens about the seriousness of underage drinking and set clear rules about no alcohol use. Plan family activities over the holiday weekend or plan to host a safe, alcohol-free party at your house. Make sure your kids know the law and stay in the know about where your kids are.

For more information on how to talk to your kids about underage drinking or to get involved in preventing underage drinking in your community, contact Brazoria County Community Coalition at coalitions@bacoda.org or visit www.bacoda.org.

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Brazoria County Community Coalition is a project of the Bay Area Council on Drugs and Alcohol (BACODA).  BACODA is a community-based substance abuse prevention organization that provides sustained leadership and support for the Coalition. BACODA is a United Way Agency.