Newspaper online survey to look into the reality of underage drinking

SUSSEX COUNTY-Is underage drinking a problem locally? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that one-third of fourth graders and more than half of sixth graders have been pressured by friends to drink alcohol. The same report says that, on average, young people begin drinking at age 13. By the time they are high school seniors, more than 80 percent of young people have used alcohol and approximately 64 percent have been drunk But what is your experience? If you are a minor, do you drink? If so, how often? Is it easy to obtain alcohol? Where do you get it? Do your friends pressure you to get high? If you have children, do you talk to them about alcohol? Do you allow them to drink? Do you think underage drinking is a problem? The Township Journal is conducting an online survey to get the answers to these questions and shed some light on the real and perceived extent of underage drinking. The more readers who participate, the better the resulting picture will be. Completing the survey takes just a few minutes. If you care about underage drinking and its affect on family and the community, we urge you to take the time to participate. You will not be asked to identify yourself in any way; the survey is completely confidential. Results will be reported in a future edition of this newspaper and will be posted online. The survey is conducted as a public service by The Township Journal in cooperation with the Sussex County Coalition for Healthy and Safe Families, the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange County, and the Passaic County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Prevention. To participate, simply log on to www.spartaindependent.com.