Recently, I read a news article about the city of Peachtree City cracking down on teen parties where alcohol is common. Surprise, surprise, and what a sad state of affairs that the city must step in to save lives of young people.
A few statistics that are easily obtainable show:
• One-half of tenth graders have or do drink alcohol;
• One-sixth of teens binge drink;
• Teen alcohol kills 4,700 people each year, which is more than all illegal drugs;
• Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and one-fourth of those are caused by underage drinking;
• Kids who start drinking young are seven more times likely to be in an alcohol-related crash;
• High school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely to drop out of school.
Wake up, parents and citizens of Peachtree City. Is this what you want for your children? Get your heads out of the sand. Or even better than that, become a positive role model for all Peachtree City children.
One such documented story of a child observing their parents arriving home from work reaching for alcohol taught a child in North Atlanta to do the same. When she was only 8 years old arriving home from school as a latch-key child, she began going to her parents’ liquor cabinet and making herself a drink as modeled daily by her parents.
How could parents have failed to notice this when they arrived from work three hours later? By the time the child was a teenager, she was diagnosed as an alcoholic. Facing the reality that they had taught their child to drink caused a divorce as the mother stopped drinking to help save her daughter. The father refused to stop drinking and chose to leave. Way to go, Dad.
So for all of you who may be criticizing the police and the city, I applaud them. They are in a battle — no, not a battle. They are in a war to save Peachtree City children and the innocents who are often killed or injured by drunk drivers.
What are you thinking when you criticize them? Hopefully my sincerely written letter will awaken parents to the reality of alcohol’s devastating effects on families.
Judy Neal
Stockbridge, Ga.
[Neal served for seven years as executive director of the Governor’s Children and Youth Coordinating Council.]
