Here are some staggering statistics.  Take your first drink at age 14, and you have a 45 percent shot of developing a dependency (yikes!).

Take your first drink at age 21, and that number goes down to 10 percent.

You're saving lives by delaying drinking.  All the more reason to educate our youth about the risks of underage drinking as soon as possible.

"The Oswego Village Board is considering whether to issue tickets, rather than handcuffs, for some first-time misdemeanor offenders.

At a recent Committee of the Whole meeting, the police department proposed an ordinance that would allow officers to issue tickets for possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of alcohol by a minor, and consumption of alcohol by a minor.

“I want everybody to realize this is still a sanction,” said Acting Chief Nick Sikora. “This is not getting off with nothing.”

The department has proposed that the penalties would include a $250 fine — in line with the fine for a Class 4 misdemeanor — and a hearing at Village Hall.

The headache of breaking up large parties of underage drinkers prompted a review of the policy."

As the owner of an alcohol awareeness and drug education program, I would like to also add that counties that consider fines in lue of jail time or probation should make mandatory Minor in Possession classes for those arrested for these infractions.  It will not only help educate teens and young adults but also address a serious issue of prevention.

Alcohol and drug consumption among college and high school students is almost unavoidable.  Where your high school senior attends college is important both academically and socially. It's important for parents to prepare their soon to be young adults with as much information as possible as it relates to understanding the risks and consequences of alcohol and drug use. Here are some of the top ranking party schools in the United States along with links for educational alcohol awareness programs for each.

10. University of Texas – Austin, TX

9. University of Florida – Gainesville, FL

8. Florida State University – Tallahassee, FL

7. Pennsylvania State University – University Park, PA

6. West Virginia University – Morgantown, WV

5. University of California — Santa Barbara, CA

4. University of Iowa – Iowa City, IA

3. University of Mississippi – University, MS

2. University of Georgia – Athens, Georgia

1. Ohio University – Athens, Ohio

With the University of Ohio at number one it might make you think they lack in many ways.  They maintain top notch athletic facilities and considered one of the most beautiful schools in the nation.  It’s no surprise that they picked up the number one slot for being a party school.  Perhaps their academic ranking can catch up to their robust reputation.

Alcohol awareness is nothing to joke about.  Every year it is estimated that 25% of all freshman deaths are related to alcohol or drugs.   Shockingly, it is estimated that 1,400 deaths occur each year to with 4 year college students related to alcohol.  It's time that we start placing as much emphasis on our children’s academic education as we do on their social education as well.  Alcohol and drug accidents can be avoided.  Prevention and education is the key to making substantial changes.  Consider taking a drug or alcohol awareness class today, before it's too late.

The more kids know about the risks of their decisions, the better and informed choices they can make.  Most college students over drink or abuse drugs simply because they do not fully understand the consequences or the limits of the substances they are using.  Most would also agree that had they known what might happen, they would have perhaps made a different choice.  Bad information is often passed down from one person to another.  Don’t let gossip guide your child’s decision making process.  A simple educational class that can be taken online might be the first line prevention against an accident or fatality.

The fight over safety labels between the health sector and the multibillion-dollar liquor industry is warming up just as the federal government finally begins formal consultations today on long-awaited warnings, introduced in the United States 22 years ago.

The federally-funded Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation yesterday released its favoured warnings, including: ''Drinking alcohol increases your risk of developing cancers'' and ''drinking alcohol damages the young developing brain''.

The foundation has dismissed as ''weak'' the voluntary warnings being introduced by most beer, wine and spirit companies.

The foundation's warnings have been developed on advice from health promotion experts and were backed by the Australian Medical Association, which has urged the government to introduce tough mandatory warnings.

The proposed labels would refer people concerned about their alcohol intake to a government helpline.

The office of the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Catherine King, said the Commonwealth was working with the states in developing a response to a report last January urging alcohol health warnings.

The task of considering diverse views on health warnings was ''complex'' and a response would be put to a ministerial council in December.

The chief executive of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation, Michael Thorn, yesterday said there was concern among health groups that the alcohol industry has sought to pre-empt the warning measures and urged the government to administer the warnings.

''The country's biggest alcohol companies will soon be using their weak, voluntary labels to direct consumers to 'Get the Facts' on an industry-funding website. ''But Australians need to get the facts now - at the point of purchase or consumption,'' Mr Thorn said.

Trish Worth, who chairs the industry-supported educational group, DrinkWise Australia, questioned whether the latest warnings were reasonable.

''Some people would argue these are alarming. It is very important to get the full information and that is what we have done,'' Ms Worth said, referring to the DrinkWise website.

The president of the AMA, Steve Hambleton, said the labels introduced voluntarily by the alcohol industry ''do not go far enough … They represent a soft approach on health labelling.

''Warning people, especially young people, about the potential harms of alcohol cannot be left in the hands of an industry motivated by increasing its sales and profits.''

Regardless, alcohol awareness is still a pressing issue and consumers should consider at the very least to consider an entry level 8 hour alcohol awareness class online

A new federal study finds New Hampshire and Vermont have among the country’s highest rates of underage drinking, with Vermont number one and New Hampshire third.  Some attribute this to the weather while others say the laws simply aren't strict enough.  Alcohol rates tend to be higher in areas where people must stay in doors due to extreme weather, either too much heat or cold.  This is often the case in these two states.  Summers can be oppressively hot and winter and be bone chilling cold.

Prevention must be the name of the game and residents of New Hampshire or Vermont that have under age kids should consider having them take an alcohol awareness class for those under 21.  These are commonly called Minor in Possession Classes