Assignment Task:
Natalie Shelton is a 17-year-old who is in the Woodburn Juvenile Detention Center. She was brought to the police station around 10 p.m. and was held overnight for her third driving under the influence offense and for driving without a license. Her blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. She was in the car alone and seemed to be in a great deal of emotional distress when the officer stopped her. Authorities placed a call to her mother, who was unable to come to the station at that time because she was home alone with a younger child. The family has been under a great deal of stress, as Natalie's??????? father committed suicide 4 months ago. Natalie was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center overnight, and her mother will meet her there in the morning. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2013 found that 66.2% of all ninth to twelfth graders had taken at least one drink of alcohol; 34.9% currently drink; and 20.8% reported having had at least five drinks in a row. Although this number has not significantly increased over the past several years, it still continues to be a public health concern in the United States. What are some of the issues that concern you about Natalie? What are some resources that might be available to Natalie and her family? Based on the statistics related to underage alcohol use, what are some possible prevention strategies that could be implemented?