Panel warns of dangers of underage drinking BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer NORTH BRUNSWICK - Half of the middle school students inMiddlesex County have used alcohol. Many New Jersey students report their first use of alcohol at age 11. Half of teen car accidents involve drinking and driving, andmore than 50 percent of youth suicides involves alcohol. Because of these statistics, provided by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) of Middlesex County, the North BrunswickMunicipal Alliance Committee hosted a panel on underage drinkingApril 14. The panel beganwith JimBrittain, an alliance member who is a former alcohol and drug addict. He said his last substance was used in 1982, and since then, he has pursued a career in substance-abuse prevention and treatment, and is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. He currently works at a welfare office doing substance-abuse assessments. Yet he said that dependence problems happen at every socioeconomic level, and that the younger someone begins using, the more likely a serious problemwill develop.He said underage drinking also leads to increased criminal and gang activity. Jennifer Smith, a prevention educator for NCADD, said that alcohol is the most common substance that teens use and that "when young people drink, they tend to drink a lot." She explained the vital role that parents must play: being a positive rolemodel, using responsibilitywhen they drink,watching the messages they send to children about needing substances to copewith life, setting rules and being consistent in enforcing them,monitoring children's activities, talking to their children about alcohol use, explaining how advertisements can be persuasive, practicing refusal skills to avoid peer pressure, letting children know that you will pick them up from a party if they are uncomfortable, creating a code word so that a problem is not easily noticed by others, encouraging extracurricular activities, recognizing risk factors such as family history or change in behavior, and rewarding good behavior with positive reinforcement. She also said parents should stick to the age 21 rule because "[children's] bodies are still developing and their bodies are still growing. The brain stops developing after age 21 so drinking and adding alcohol can [affect] that process." North Brunswick police Detective Michael Campbell said that many juveniles get arrested at the park, behind a day-care center, or at home when their parents are away.He advised parents to check under the bed and in the closet if they suspect bottles could be around, and tomark the liquor bottles in the house to see if any has been used. He also said local convenience stores are hot spots for teens and college students because they sell liquor. He said the police are out there asmuch as possible, but thatmore resources are needed. "There needs to be some accountability," he said. Mark Zielinski, a social studies teacher and football coach at North Brunswick Township High School, said that as a father, he knows howit is to have your children out, not knowing what is going to happen. He said he has seen familymembers, colleagues and former students struggle with alcohol. He said that the older people are, the more mature and able they are to deal with the problems that may be associated with alcohol use. DavidMeyers, a student assistance counselor at Linwood Middle School, is also a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor. He said that character development could combat abuse, if a student is given a place of safety.He said studentsmust be responsible for their choices, and that families must be aware of howfamily addictions can affectminors. GinaMarie Tischio, a student assistance counselor from the high school, said that "when a lot of kids have a lot of time on their hands, they go off and do different things because they're bored andwant to experiment." She said especiallywith proms and graduations coming soon, parents must know where their children are going,who they are going with, what they are doing and if there will be supervision. "This is your child and you obviously care about your children, so ask questions," she said.