Community Concerns

The Journal of Adolescent Health has published a study suggesting that secondhand smoke may affect more than just a child's health: "These study results bolster growing evidence of academic-related secondhand smoke consequences beyond the known health consequences, and should further encourage efforts to reduce this environmental threat."

The Hoover City Council is currently considering a Clean Indoor Air Ordinance.

Hoover Could Stub Out Smoking in Restaurants - September 12, Birmingham News

Adults Most Common Source of Alcohol for Teens Aged 13-18 - posted 09/22/07

The American Medical Association (AMA) released the results of two nationwide polls that reveal how underage youth obtain alcohol, as well as how easily and often. The polls also show parental opinions and behaviors about providing alcohol to teenagers and perceptions on how youth acquire alcohol.

Nearly one in four teens, aged 13-18, and one in three girls, aged 16-18, say their own parents have supplied them with alcohol, and teens who have obtained alcohol reported that in the past six months, parents were the suppliers three times on average.
One out of four parents of children, aged 12-20 (25%), say they have allowed their teens to drink with their supervision in the past six months. Approximately one in 12 (8%) indicated they have allowed their teen's friends to also drink under their supervision in the past six months.
While only eight percent of parents of children aged 12-20 indicated that they allowed their teen and his/her friends to drink with supervision in the past six months, 21% of teens attended a party where the alcohol was provided by someone else's parents. And 27% of teens attended a party where youth were drinking with parents present. This discrepancy suggests parents are unaware that other parents are allowing their own children to drink.

The old recommendation of making sure there are parents present before you let your children attend a party may need some adaptation based on the information released in this survey. Not only do you need to make sure parents are present, but it's a good idea to know those parents and be assured that they will not provide alcohol at parties held in their home. Our local PRIDE drug prevalence survey, administered to students in Hoover City Schools, revealed that 47.2% of high school students report getting alcohol from their home of a friend's home.

This information was provided by the Hoover Coalition Promoting a Safe and Healthy Community, (205) 439-1826.

Random Drug Testing of Student Drivers to be Implemented in Fall 2007

See the Birmingham News article for a complete writeup.

"Pharm" Parties --- Do You Know What They Are?

Prescription Drugs Emerge As Growing Threat - April 25, Mobile Press-Register

Pay Attention, Parents....posted 04/10/07

From the Hoover Coalition Promoting a Safe and Healthy Community:

Alcohol and Footwear Companies Target Teens
Reef has introduced the Dram- a sandal with a flask capable of holding three ounces of liquor, per sandal. The Dram, a common term for measuring one ounce of liquor, is the latest addition to Reef's line of flip flops. Last year Reef introduced a sandal with a bottle opener in the heel. The Dram is user friendly, coming with it's own church key, bottle opener and tiny funnel that can be attached to one's key chain. The polyurethane flask is encapsulated in each heel. This quick money-maker for Reef is the perfect paraphernalia and alcohol hiding place for teens. Here's the link to a picture and description of the sandal: http://www.reef.com/productdetail/guys/footwear/sandals/2597

Also be on alert for a new alcohol product called Spykes, made by Anheuser-Busch. It is a malt beverage with 12 percent alcohol content — about the same as wine. It comes in mango, lime, melon and chocolate flavors and is infused with caffeine as well as the herbs ginseng and guarana. Sold in 2-ounce bottles that go for 75 cents to a dollar apiece, Spykes “gives kick to your beer, flavor to your drink, and is a perfect shot,” according to the promotional Web site, www.spykeme.com. It’s also cute — about the size of a nail polish bottle — so it can easily slip into the tiniest clutch purse or tuxedo pocket. o

PRIDE Survey Data 2004 - 2006 - posted 04/04/07

The PRIDE Survey is conducted each year by the Hoover Coalition Promoting a Safe and Healthy Community. The PRIDE survey measures drug and alcohol prevalence in our Hoover community's youth from grades 6 through 12. Click the link to download a PowerPoint presentation of this data presented to the Hoover School Board of Education in December 2006. If you are unable to download the PowerPoint presentation, click here for a PDF of that presentation.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Underage Drinking Research - posted 04/04/07

Click to link to MADD's Underage Drinking Research page. Their page is filled with interesting articles with statistics and fact not only about the prevalence of underage drinking, but also what alcohol physically does to teenagers bodies.

News Articles

Two Students Arrested in Bomb Threat - April 20, Birmingham News

Underage Drinking Arrests Offer Lessons for Families - Sound Off, April 11, Birmingham News

Police Arrest 33 Students in Alcohol Sales Crackdown - April 3, Birmingham News

This website is not affiliated with Hoover City Schools or the Hoover City Board of Education. HSCIN is solely responsible for its content. Links to outside sources of information are not endorsed by the HSCIN, rather are included for informational purposes only.