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EDITORIAL: Tragically aware |
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Friday, 25 April 2008 |
We’ve all read and heard so much, particularly in the last couple of years, about the alarming increase in underage drinking and drug use — and the increase in tragic consequences associated with this issue, which has deservedly and understandably moved to the forefront of societal concerns.
Following are some sobering statistics and other facts about underage drinking from a survey conducted by StopAlcoholAbuse.Gov. The site is one of several resources where people may gain statistics, learn prevention programs, obtain school presentations and plan community programs:
•Approximately 7.2 million underage youths 12 to 20 (19 percent) were binge drinkers. Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks on the same occasion at least one day in the 30 days prior to the survey.
•Among those ages 12 to 20, heavy drinking was reported by 2.4 million (6.2 percent). Heavy drinking is defined as binge drinking on at least five days in the past 30 days.
•Youth who report drinking before the age of 15 are more likely than those who begin drinking later in life to have other substance abuse problems during adolescence; to engage in risky sexual behavior; and to be involved in car crashes, unintentional injuries, and physical fights after drinking, both during adolescence and in adulthood.
•Approximately 10 percent of 9- to 10-year-olds have started drinking. Nearly one-third of youth begin drinking before age 13.
•By age 15, approximately 50 percent of boys and girls have had a whole drink of alcohol; by age 21, approximately 90 percent have done so.
•Alcohol is the drug of choice among America’s adolescents, used by more young people than tobacco or illicit drugs.
•Adolescents generally obtain alcohol from adults who sell it to them, purchase it on their behalf, or allow them to attend or give parties where alcohol is served.
•Underage drinking can cause alterations in the structure and function of the developing brain. New research indicates that the developing adolescent brain may be particularly susceptible to long-term consequences from alcohol use.
•Some studies find that adolescents who drink heavily may experience adverse effects that disrupt normal growth and affect liver, bone, and endocrine development.
An older and wiser gentleman of our acquaintance, whose advice helped guide many a young person, said he always was of the opinion that not much good can happen to folks after midnight — teenagers and adults alike. “If you’re out after midnight,” he would say, “there’s a good chance trouble is gonna track you down. I always thought it made sense to be someplace where trouble can’t find you.”
There’s not a lot of homespun wisdom applied anymore when people warn of the dangers associated with underage drinking and drug use. These days, the talk is straightforward. Unfortunately, as we know, young people are not always listening. Such a fun yet difficult time in life, the teenage years. Childhood is over; adulthood is on the horizon. There are the middle years to cope with, the years where peer pressure is at its greatest, where temptation is irresistible — and where lives can be changed in an instant.
Sadly, Saline County experienced such tragedy several days ago when a Bryant High School student was killed in a traffic accident on the Interstate 30 service road. The victim was not wearing a seat belt, the accident occurred after midnight and, according to Bryant police, the consumption of alcohol and drugs played a key role in the fatal crash.
We all make mistakes in our lives, and we all don’t learn from our mistakes right away. Yet, we never stop to realize that there is one ultimate mistake from which we would have no opportunity to learn. The ultimate mistakes does not provide a second, third or fourth chance.
The most important thing any of us can do as parents and grandparents, as friends and neighbors, is help young people understand that a wrong choice can be a final choice. It is not an easy lesson to teach, and it certainly is not an easy lesson for young people to learn. We hope with everything in us that the lesson is not learned too late, like it was for this Bryant High School student.
We are parents, and some grandparents. We have friends. Believe us when we say that the most difficult part of our job in providing information to the public is the reporting of tragic news, especially when the news involves people in the Saline County community. As with people in any profession, we have a job to do. Never be under the false impression that we approach each and every task without feeling or compassion or understanding. We, too, are human.
It’s spring and young people, like all of us, want to be out and about, enjoying the warmer days and pleasant evenings. It’s a time to be active. This also is an exciting time for young people of high school age — proms are being held, the end of the school year is on the horizon, graduation is not far away.
It is a time to have fun and enjoy life. It also is a time to be sensible, to be educated about the dangers that no one wants to believe will lead to the ultimate mistake.
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Razorbacks