Sounding Off: Message needs to be heard
The “Minor Drinking, Major Problems” town hall meeting sponsored by Laguna Beach Unified School District on Tuesday was an impactful, tremendously informative and encouraging meeting! I want to applaud the leadership of the district for taking proactive measures to explore our problem and support our role in the solution.
An expert panel from Orange County law enforcement, our own Dr. Thomas Bent from the Laguna Beach Community Clinic, as well as speakers from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Network gave the audience of parents, school staff and the community essentially an advanced class on the social teen scene. We explored the scope of the problem and growing trends of substance abuse in our community and nationally, the enormity of effects physically and emotionally for our children, legal ramifications for parents as well as resources and tips.
For example, did you know:
YouTube is a resource for parents to really see what’s happening?
What these mean: bindle, Whippit, chasing the dragon, dark night, spice, K2 and K3, dusting, raves, Joose Blue, Sparks, beer pong?
The consequences for social hosting for parents (providing the booze and/or the pad for underage-21 parties)?
The impact of a felony or misdemeanor on an 18-year-old’s record?
How to spot drug and alcohol use? The signs? The clues around the home?
Research finds that the brain fully develops at 25 years of age? Therefore, teen drinking may cause irreversible brain damage.
Some energy drinks can be purchased with alcohol in them?
The most important influence on your child is your relationship and communication with him or her. Really.
This class provided strategies to prevent and reduce underage drinking. The only troubling thing to me about this wonderful presentation was the sparse attendance of parents. Our PTA Coffee Breaks have included teenagers and the party scene quite effectively; the town hall meeting was very different from that format. I would like to call for an encore! No one should miss a future presentation if we are privileged enough to get another chance to attend. My commitment was to spread the word. While Laguna remains fertile ground for teenage substance abuse, we must work together to make a difference.