My Turn: Rites of passage can still be deadly
Despite great progress in reducing alcohol-related traffic deaths since MADD'S founding in 1980, drunk driving and underage drinking are still dangerous realities in our society.
Alarmingly, the 2001 survey shows one in 10 Americans surveyed reported driving under the influence of alcohol - up from 3 million in 2000. In the 18-to-25 age bracket almost 23 percent drove under the influence.
Unfortunately, there was little change in the rate of underage drinking. More than 10 million 12-20 year-olds (28.5 percent of this age group) reported drinking alcohol in the year prior to the survey. Of those, nearly 6.8 million (19 percent) were binge drinkers and 2.1 million (6 percent) were heavy drinkers. Among the 12-17-year-olds, underage drinking rates increased, with more than 17 percent using alcohol compared to approximately 16 percent in 2000, according to the annual Survey on Drug Abuse by Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.
Where do our teens get their favorite drug? From their refrigerator or through friends and family members. And it's not only the "bad" kids skipping school - underage drinking exists among many teen groups. In Judge Froehlich's Friday afternoon courtroom I have observed too many of Juneau's youth up for minor consuming with BACs of .16 and above. A high BAC indicates a history of drinking, it wasn't a one time deal when they were caught.
The human organs, including the brain, do not quit developing until at least the age of 21. Introducing alcohol to a growing youth wipes out developing cells and slows the growth of future ones. Is this what we want to do to our children? It makes one wonder how many productive lives were cut short when their developing bodies were introduced to alcohol. What if a person forced to flip fries for a paycheck once had the potential to be an architect? Or the adult destined for a lifetime of short term jobs-what if he/she once had the capability to become a scientist?
Last year I listened to one father tell me he had hired his teenage son and was trying to work with him on which days off would be best for the young man's party nights. "After all, this is a rite of passage." he explained. That young man now has three drunken driving arrests and has not yet reached the age of 21. Please, it's not all right to let your 15-year-old have a sip of your beer nor is it healthy to allow your 18-year-old to drink wine with dinner. When you let your child have any alcohol you are essentially saying, "It's all right to drink." That may not be the message you mean to convey but that's what they hear. We are short-changing our children when we continue this sick and deadly "rite of passage."
While MADD'S plan calls for public support, we will not be successful without individual support. It all boils down to making good personal decisions, such as adults committing to designate a driver before the drinking begins, parents talking to their kids and setting family rules about underage drinking, and activating young people in creating alternatives to drinking. Societal changes require effort, but the lives saved are well worth it.
For more information, visit MADD'S Web site at www.madd.org.
Cindy Cashen is executive director of MADD's Juneau Chapter.