The new show "Gossip Girl" on the CW, which tells the stories of Upper Manhattan's elite teens, glamorizes teen drinking - but the truth of underage drinking is much more sobering. The U.S. Surgeon General's office says that a quarter of the country's alcohol sales are attributed to underage drinkers.

"Although the overall percentage of drinkers has held fairly steady for the past five years, the most recent statistics from that survey show teens have begun drinking at younger ages, and binge drinking has surged - with nearly 7.2 million teens reporting they sometimes down five or more alcoholic beverages in a single setting."

Though the media often glamorizes underage drinking, parental influence far outweighs that of the media. Unfortunately, a high percentage of teens say that they drink at parties that are supervised by adults. Some admit that their parents buy alcohol for them. What small influence the media may have can be counter-acted by parents who model the motto "just say no".

Teens struggling with alcohol and drug addiction need a safe, secure, and structured environment to get back on track. SunHawk Academy is a residential treatment center in a boarding school setting. Learn more at www.sunhawkacademy.com.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, binge_drinking, underage drinking