According to a NY Sun article appearing on January 17th, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority board member has indicated an interest in banning the sale of alcoholic beverages on LIRR and Metro-North trains, due to the concern that drinking on trains poses several safety hazards for riders. 

However, since 1950, the LIRR has been selling alcohol on platforms and aboard trains and Metro-North has been serving it since 1976.  In that time - according to reporting by the Sun and also cited on the blog gothamist.com no car accidents have been directly related to onboard drinking have been reported and bartenders on the trains are not allowed to sell alcohol to passengers who seem to them to be inebriated.  Unfortunately I do not have a citation for the source of this research to check its accuracy, but from my experience commuting, the reality of the situation is that commuters are only buying a beer to carry on the train.  And if you’re heading to the bar car (for those on the Metro North New Haven line) it’s crowded and the bartenders are not allowed to sell alcohol to passengers who seem to them to be inebriated. 

Here’s the way I see it: what’s wrong with having a drink on the way home from work?  After a long day, the commuter rail can be a social environment, a time to unwind and enjoy conversation with your friends (or just quietly enjoy the end of the day).  You’re not driving, and as long as you are being responsible knowing that you need to get in a car following your commute, there should be no issue.  In fact, if you read the recent New Yorker on the same subject, you’ll find that enjoying a cocktail or beer on the way home from work has become a way of life for many commuters. 

Now - I know that some will say that there are those that are not responsible and thus putting others at risk.  But reading the recent backlash from the affected commuters on these trains, it seems to me that this isn’t the environment that these trains breed. 

Instead of banning the sale of alcohol altogether on commuter lines, couldn’t the MTA consider addressing the issue of social responsibility in a more active way on the trains?  Why not work to have local taxi service numbers posted in the bar cars, just to ensure that commuters have access to them? 

It just seems that before taking the step to fully ban the sale of alcohol, there are a number of steps to be considered along the way.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the January 2007 issue of Pediatrics, Binge Drinking and Associated Health Risk Behaviors Among High School Students, states that “binge drinking is the most common pattern of alcohol consumption among high school youth who drink alcohol and is strongly associated with a wide range of other health risk behaviors.” 

Although we know that youth use of alcohol for 8th, 10th and 12th graders was down across the board over the last five years, according to the 2006 Monitoring the Future survey, and current drinking (past 30 days) among 12th graders is at the lowest level since the study began in 1975, and is down 14% since 1997, underage drinking remains an important issue that needs to be addressed.

So the question for parents is, “what can we do?”

And the answer I’d offer is that there are MANY things you can do.  Consider one expert’s opinion: Richard Gallagher, Ph.D., Director of the Parenting Institute and Thriving Teens Project believes that “parents remain the greatest influence over their children’s behavior.”

Among the tips  Dr. Gallagher offers parents:

1) Clearly state what actions you expect your teen to take when confronted with substance use.
2) Talk about the alcohol use that your children observe.
3) Limit the access your children have to substances.

The Century Council, funded by Diageo and other spirits companies, addresses the issue of underage drinking and drunk driving. In its Underage Drinking Worksheet, The Century Council also points out the importance of parental involvement:
A qualitative research study conducted by Amica Insurance confirmed that teenagers whose parents talk with them versus talk at them might be less at risk to engage in harmful behavior involving alcohol. What’s more, teens said they would be more apt not to drink and drive if they had heard directly from their parents how important they are to them.

When it comes down to it, a lot of this advice boils down to talking to your kids and being involved in their lives.

If you’re looking for a good starting point, check out some resources offered by The Century Council that can help parents talk to their children about underage drinking.  Girl Talk,  Ask, Listen, and Learn,   and Parents, you’re not done yet.  are some of the programs available on The Century Council web site that give parents the tools that will assist them in their conversations with their children.

First things first, let’s get something straight.  Irresponsible use of alcohol is an important issue, and one that the government, industry, public and a host of other stakeholders take quite seriously.  Some focus on developing policies to keep us safe from the harm associated with the misuse of beverage alcohol, a laudable goal.  However, at times, this is done in the absence of a firm grip on the facts.

Take, for example, a recent report from Join Together’s website that would have us believe that the 2003 Licensing Act which allows for extended operating hours for pubs and bars in the UK has led to mayhem at closing time.  A scary thought, to be sure, but it doesn’t reflect what research is showing from the front lines:

• 13 police forces across England and Wales found no marked rise in alcohol related crimes since the Act was enacted; 6 police forces reported a fall and 5 reported a rise in response to a survey conducted by and published in the English newspaper The Independent in November 2006.

• In Wirral, England, people reporting assaults at the Accident and Emergency Department fell by 15% according to a study conducted by the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool after the Act was introduced.

• In the English county of Sussex, 1,000 fewer people reported injuries after the Act was enacted, leading the Asst. Chief Constable of Sussex to comment: “Concerns over 24-hour drinking leading to a significant increase in alcohol-fuelled violence and public nuisance have not materialized.”

• In Norwich England, six months after the change in operating hours, police officials reported 584 fewer violent offences compared to the same period a year earlier.  Says Inspector Peter Walsh, “We’re no longer seeing the huge queues for clubs and taxis at 11:30pm and then 2am which were often associated with trouble and we no longer see large crowds pouring out on to the street all at the same time.”

Alcohol-related policies are an important part of our society, but it’s critical that the people making – and commenting on – these policies are  relying on actual FACTS.

As part of a balanced lifestyle, my husband and I celebrate the end of each day with a glass of something with dinner — usually wine.  Like many people, we have traditionally thought of champagne as something that is reserved for major celebrations. 

On New Year’s Eve, we each had a glass of champagne and decided that we don’t enjoy a glass often enough!  Champagne can be affordable (not all champagne is priced at the higher end), and it is a nice element in a mixed drink. 

Personally, given the state of the world, I think that Winston Churchill’s quote on champagne is apt:

“A single glass of champagne imparts a feeling of exhilaration. The nerves are braced, the imagination is agreeably stirred; the wits become more nimble. A bottle produces the contrary effect. Excess causes a comatose insensibility. So it is with war: and the quality of both is best discovered by sipping.” 

In the future, we plan to enjoy more frequently a glass of something bubbly.