DEAR EDITOR:When will we all learn it's not cool to let teens drink alcohol, and understand that alcohol causes more harm to teens than all illegal drugs, combined? Kim Isaza's Saturday article "Cobb Police bust teen drinking party" highlights the fact that some adults in our community persist in holding onto a variety of mistaken beliefs about underage drinking. The first is that drinking is a rite of passage to adulthood. Another is that teens will drink alcohol and there's nothing that adults can do about it. Many adults who subscribe to these attitudes and beliefs do the youth of our community a disservice by enabling them to engage in behaviors that are detrimental to their own health and safety, as well as putting all citizens' safety and quality of life at risk.
This story just scratches the surface of the issue, and calls attention to an all too common reality in Cobb County. According to the 2008 Georgia Student Health Survey, Cobb students binge drink at a friend's house on the weekend more than other students in the state. We all need to support enforcement efforts and implement new policies here in Cobb if we want to change the current norm. I applaud law enforcement for enforcing the law equally without prejudice or favoritism.
I hope the special prosecutor appointed to this case will conduct a thorough review of the investigation and will move to hold accountable, equally and without prejudice, any adults who furnished alcohol illegally and any youths who possessed or consumed alcohol illegally - no matter who they are.
In the future, if social host ordinances were adopted by local governments, when police discover an underage drinking party they could issue a citation to any host who permits underage drinking on his/her property, allowing public safety agencies to recover response costs from the offender, and imposing escalating fines for repeat offenders. A ripe idea for Cobb County. Are we ready yet?
Laura SearcyPediatric Nurse Practitioner Cobb Alcohol Taskforce Board
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"People who read and believe God's Word are surely not the ones who are bingeing, hence not the problem." FACT, you are correct. Those who read and believe God's words are so pure and they would never do anything wrong. NEVER!!! Sanford or Gingrich, maybe Stanley or what about Haggard? Those guys are certainly not the problem.
"Since certain elements of society are too dumb to avoid self injury and death without rules, then we have to do all the thinking for them."
FACT. We know that people like you should do the thinking for the rest of us.
But also lost in this is the fact that the drinking age is too high. If you're old enough to vote, and if you're old enough to serve in the military (and perhaps die for your country), you are certainly old enough to choose whether to have a drink.
And @ Concerned Citizen who said "People who read and believe God's Word are surely not the ones who are bingeing, hence not the problem" -- that has to be one of the dumbest blanket statements I have ever heard. Yeah, these folks don't have any alcohol- or sexual abuse problems and such. Please engage your brain before your fingers on the keyboard.
What was Georgia again, in education? 48th? 49th? The problem is, many people in this state are satisfied to BE there.
I'm a sixth-generation Georgian, and I think it's time for this state to get its thumb out and figure out that it's the 21st century. Anybody who really cares about this county and this state must surely realize that the old systems are irretrievably broken. Time to embrace change.
People who read and believe God's Word are surely not the ones who are bingeing, hence not the problem. Parental attitude, on the other hand, has much to do with it. As somebody who has worked with youth for over 15 years, I can attest to seeing how often the apple doesn't fall that far from the tree.
While morals may not be something we can legislate, nor common sense, life saving measures are. Since certain elements of society are too dumb to avoid self injury and death without rules, then we have to do all the thinking for them. Case in point, seat belt usage and texting while driving. Anything that can be done to save lives and educate the public on why they shouldn't engage in self destructive behavior is a good thing.
Ms. Searcy - You can't legislate morals. Part of our societies problems are that we have tried to legislate common sense.
People all over the South, North, East and West want to ensure the safety of their kids and shelter them from the most dangerous consequences of their reckless teen years. It is a basic instinct to do all you can as a parent to preserve the life of your offspring.
If that means saying no, when your kids think they are the only ones who can't, so be it.
If that means staying vigilant, and talking through the huffing and puffing of a sullen teen, so be it.
Most of us would rather be hated by our children during their teen years so we can be adored by the grandchildren they will someday bring us.
Permissiveness with alcohol doesn't work in the US and it doesn't work in other countries either. But please don't let me confuse your opinion with the truth. If the truth interests you, take a look at Ralph Hingson's research on alcohol use/abuse in other countries. Summary: the sooner kids start, the higher the tendency toward abusive behavior.
SouthNorth...wanting to keep our kids safe is a universal concept and I pray that other parents of conscience stand up for the lives of all our children.
If you would stop reading your Bible and believing every word of it...and finally realize that most of the world do not have laws on alcohol and no issues with teen drinking that may solve your problems. Anyway, keep fighting with sunday alcohol sale, teen drinking..it is funny to read
However as there was a Lawyer/Judge and her State Senator cronie involved, bet your booties nothing will come of this and it will quietly disappear.
Business as usual for the Cobb elite!!!