I know there have been numerous blogs on this particular topic lately...but just bear with me please. I live in small town in Wisconsin, which, unfortunately, tolerates underage drinking. I'm not saying my town is unique, because I know it's not. This weekend, two cars got into an accident. In these cars, were fourteen students who were drunk. Luckily, no one died, but at least two of the students were hurt severely, and one is in a coma. There may be more, I really don't know at this point; you know how rumors are. My point is, this COULD have been prevented.
Even I, who have never been to a drinking party, and am very outspoken against teen drinking, heard about this party. You can't tell me that a teacher didn't hear about it as well. Right now, I am feeling gulity for not telling someone about this party, or something. I could have done something, someone could have done something. Almost every single one of those students, were someone I know. Not close friends or anything, but still people I see everyday. My question is, why isn't anyone doing anything about this? Teen drinking is a HUGE problem, but it seems to be one that we are just willing to throw to the side. No one really cares about it, and I don't understand why. We all need to do something about teen drinking. There has to be some sort of plausible solution, whether its lowering the drinking age, or cracking down on underage drinking, or whatever, get out there and advocate it, whatever it is, because this needs to be stopped.
We all can do something. At my school, students are not afraid to talk about the party that happened last weekend, or even the one that is coming up, because no one does anything. As I walked through the hallways this morning, I saw the somber faces of many of my classmates, the friends of those in the accident. But I guarantee that this accident won't make a difference, that they were at that party, and will be at a party this weekend too. I don't know, maybe I am wrong, and the parties will stop, at least for a little while. But eventually that "this can never happen to me" mentality will prevail and they will start again. The only way that we can reduce the number of parties is to DO something to stop them. I personally would much rather be labeled a snitch and be hated by everyone then feel at least partially responsible for a horrible tragedy, even worse than this one. I really wish I had taken action, and in the future I plan to. Maybe everyone will hate me, but at least no one will die.
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I dont know why people make such a big deal about getting drunk every damn fri night or weekend. I mean i dont care if you drink but its really not a big deal
That wasn't the point of my post. My point was that teen drinking DOES exist, and we NEED to do something about it. It IS a big deal.
"Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent"--Eleanor Roosevelt
Aside from telling teachers when you hear about parties, are there other things you could do to prevent these tragedies? What are the public policy implications? Can you think of programs that would help prevent the problem?
Yes, there is much more we can do. Bringing the problem into the eyes of the public is one of the most important steps. Groups like MADD and SADD are always a good option. As for public policy implications, I think that it is more important to figure out a way to solve the problem first. I don't really know how, I don't know what would work, but there has to be something, someway, to make this stop.
"Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent"--Eleanor Roosevelt
Theres no way to stop teens from drinking. I think we need to teach em how to do it safely rather than dont do at all
There is something we can do, because, not all teens drink. I myself am a teen, and I don't drink. Ever. I just don't see the need to. There is way to stop it. And we must, because it hurts a lot more than just being in car accidents. Excessive drinking can lead to a lot of health problems. My stepsister, for example, is only in her mid-twenties and has loads of health problems, many of which are connected to her excessive drinking. She has been drinking since well before it was legal for her to do so. We have to do something. We simply cannot have an attitude of "Oh well, they are going to do it anyway". That is the point of my post, that we must take action to stop excessive teen drinking, because there is a way, we just have to find it.
"Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent"--Eleanor Roosevelt
Yes, It has cause so many deaths in the U.S.A.
But really everyone is in control of their own actions.
Teens know that they could die behind the wheel if they have been drinking so i feel they put their own lives at risk. Their is only so much you can do to steer someone in the right direction.
As much programs their are out there. Teens continue to drink.
The only time someone will stop is if something happens to them or they have a reality check. If you care so much about teen drinking give kids other things to do other then drinking. Right i guess their isn't much out their for teens to do so untill their is. Drinking is going to still be on the market for local teens. There is only so much we can do. You can not force someone not drink. TEENs are not suppose drink but yet they are. When we are not allowed to do something we do it anyways. TEEN DRINKING IS going to continue to be a ongoing problem untill we really want to in force some rules here.
<3 NeEsha <3
I agree with thomas andrew duval. there really isn't anything we can do about it. I mean, there are whole organizations (such as MADD and SADD, like you mentioned) devoted to stopping teens drinking. Yet these organizations have been around for a long time and if anything has changed, there has been an INCREASE of underage drinking as an act of defiance.
((those three words are said too much...but not enough.))
MADD and SADD are definetely not the solution, just as DARE is not the solution to the "drug problem."
I know this isn't the point of your post, but you seem unduly focused on stopping the parties. Drinking is the problem, not the parties. Even if that is where the drinking happens, you can't attack the PARTIES, just like you can't attack the RAVES because some kids choose to be dumb.
We really need to teach people to handle their liquor, and to handle getting home after a party. The earlier we set the drinking age, the longer kids have to learn. We get so focused on stopping things. We don't try to make them safer or healthier or easier to handle. Education is far better than cracking down. Our Puritan roots screw us at every turn.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.