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The following are quotes from a June 4th article by an Associated Press writer (James MacPherson) in the Bismarck Tribune...
"A new report says North Dakota leads the nation in the rate of binge and underage drinking. It's old news to state officials who have been on a mission to change it, with limited success."
"Drinking - even underage and to excess - is "culturally accepted" in North Dakota, authorities say, and many communities' social activities revolve around booze."
"More than 58 percent of North Dakotans between the ages of 18 and 25 - the highest rate in the U.S. - reported binge drinking. Nearly 29 percent in the 26-and-older category said they had five or more drinks in one sitting, also leading the nation, the report said."
"A survey last year of North Dakota communities found one-third of the adults thought teenage drinking was acceptable and should be legal, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said."
When I read this article in the Bismarck Tribune today, I wasn't surprised at the statistics in MacPherson's report. I wish he had gone further and reported on the prevalence of drunk driving among our young people as well. In our small rural community in recent months, several young men have been arrested for drunk driving, yet have received little more than a "hand-slap" from our local State's Attorney. DUI's were turned into "wreckless driving's." One young man, who actually ran over and killed a bike rider recently, was sentenced to something like a "half-way" house where he can still have a public job. From what I understand he did not even get his driver's license taken away. It almost seems like our State's attorney is being the defending counselor for these kids instead of insisting on just consequences for their actions. Also, sad to say, many of the adults in our area, as Attorney General Stenehjem mentioned, turn a blind eye to their kids' excessive drinking... with a "kids will be kids" attitude. Well, one kid in our area is now dead, due to this attitude and the consistent lack of suitable consequences for drunk driving. Why should these young drunk drivers (who get caught with alcohol way above the legal limit in their blood streams) change their habits, when they never get DUI's on their records?
Sadly, this is all too common is many rural areas nationwide. Fact is kids get bored and do stupid things. However I don't invest much into hearsay statistics, 95% of the time it's just to attract readers by lying to them.
I know everytime I visit I drink way more that I ever do in Minneapolis. Seems that every activity up there involves drinking! Thats just my experiences though, in no way am I implying that they are a bunch of drunks up there. I think its just that there isn't a lot to do, so you end up being bored and having a couple "pops" and there is nothing wrong with that as long as you are safe.
I agree with soundforlanguage81 on this one. This isn't just happening in North Dakota, and North Dakota is probably NOT the state with the highest binge drinking as statistics indicate, but probably close. We don't know how these surveys were distributed, who they went to, how many were returned, the environment that these surveys were taken (example...school...where many kids will exaggerate to be cool...I remember doing surveys and bragging and comparing with friends afterwords....knowing what I said wasn't true at all)... the small population of the rural states also will reflect a higher percentage of drinking. Kind of like a small counties population growth or loss can be pretty impressive...reflecting a 10% gorwth rate...compared to other counties... but actually only 100 people moved into the county of 1000 people...but without looking at the numbers and facts, a person would think the county was bursting at the seems...when in fact, the current population was so small...anyone moving into that county would indicate a population boom.
Surveys of this sort tend to be worded to get the most shocking possible results, because the survey is meant to support an existing agenda, rather than looking for unbiased facts. And as Roloff1976 says, you have to know what your real numbers are or the stats are meaningless. (I'm reminded of the Riverside CA animal control impoundment stats -- sounded like a huge number, but in fact when you did the math was something like 0.001% of the county's pets.)
Also... I grew up next door in Montana, and I never even heard of any kids binge-drinking except for a few of the stupider fratboys. Even when we college kids would go cruise the bars, we were fairly restrained -- one or two drinks apiece was it, and that was for the whole night. The occasional kegger was a big deal because it was a once-or-twice-a-year event. Maybe I just didn't run with a sufficiently degenerate crowd?
The other thing is -- kids are going to do something like this, unless you lock them up 24 hours a day (which is hardly productive either -- kids need to actually make some mistakes to learn about life). Would you rather they consumed alcohol, which is well-regulated and has known effects, or were trying out the latest in designer drugs of uncertain chemistry and unknown effects, like big city kids are more likely to do? Hint: all the "testing" for those designer drugs is done by the people taking them. Some die of it.
Last edited by Reziac; 06-06-2009 at 11:56 AM..
Reason: surrplus lettters
one or two drinks apiece was it, and that was for the whole night. The occasional kegger was a big deal because it was a once-or-twice-a-year event. Maybe I just didn't run with a sufficiently degenerate crowd?
Have you ever been in a bar? Most DD's have more than that throughout the whole night.
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