Atlantic County middle-schoolers have a lot of advice for parents about underage drinking.
Join Together Atlantic County, a substance misuse prevention coalition, held an underage drinking PSA contest for sixth- through eighth-graders with the theme of a message to parents from youth about the dangers of underage drinking or providing alcohol to those younger than 21.
Naomi Green, an eighth-grader from Brigantine Middle School, took the top prize, and will have her art work turned into a billboard.
The message that more than 4,300 underage people die each year from excessive drinking was accompanied by a skeleton hand pouring a bottle into a glass.
Camila Ramos-Reyna, a sixth-grader at Jordan Road Middle School in Somers Point, got second place for her image of a teen holding a bottle and thinking about the possible negative results of drinking.
Rounding out the winners is Maggie Breedlove, an eighth-grader at Champion Baptist Academy in Galloway Township.
“Your teen’s life is on the line,” her poster warns. “So don’t give them that sip.”
The contest is part of Join Together Atlantic County’s efforts: “to prevent, reduce and/or delay substance use among youth of Atlantic County in a long term and sustainable manner.”
The younger a person starts drinking, the more likely he or she is to have alcohol problems later in life, JTAC noted. A person who starts drinking as a young teen is four times more likely to become an alcoholic than someone who does not drink until age 21.
Research shows that more than 70 percent of youth ages 12 to 20 have not had a drink in the past month.
Providing alcohol to someone underage can result in a criminal charge that carries six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
