Welcome  to  Public  health  moment from  the  University  of  Minnesota. The  Upper  Midwest  has  some  of the  highest  rates  of  binge  drinking  in  the  United  States. The  tragic  death  of  a  21  year  old  Mankato  woman is  the  most  recent  example. Tobin  Nelson,  a  University  of  Minnesota  epidemiologist, has  advice  for  parents, Binge  drinking  and  drinking  among underage  children  is  a  serious  issue. The  motor  vehicle  crashes  that  are  alcohol related  are  a  leading  cause  of death  among  children  who  are  older, adolescents  or  young  adults. Another  thing  that  parents  can  focus  on  is  not providing  alcohol  to  children  in  their  own  home. Parents  often  think  that  by  doing  that, they  create  a  safer  environment  for  drinking. That  was  going  to  occur  anyway, But  we  know  that  the  more alcohol  that  children  are  able  to  access, the  more  likely  they  are  to  drink, drink  heavily  and  the  more  likely are  to  experience  alcohol  related  problems. Nelson  believes  that  lawmakers  also  have  a  role. For  example,  he  says  that research  has  shown  that  increasing  the  tax  on alcohol  products  would  be an  effective  way  to  reduce  underage  drinking. Right  now,  there  is  very  little political  will  to  implement  some  of the  recommended  policies  for controlling  alcohol  at the  community  or  at  the  state  level. With  another  public  health  moment,  I'm  John  Finnegan.