Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Nothing good can come from underage drinking

BY JOHN MILLER

Nothing good can come from underage drinking.

This was one of the messages given at a town meeting on underage drinking Tuesday, March 28, at the Prescott High School auditorium.

Joyce Gibson, co-president of the Prescott-Nevada County Health Alliance (PNCHA), welcomed those who attended, but voiced disappointment as only a few parents showed for the meeting.

A short film, made by students in Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), was shown to those in attendance. The film was entitled, How Cool Are You, and depicted dangers of underage drinking. Matt Haynie and Brandon Sanders, both SADD members, showed the film.

This was followed by a second film, This Place, which further showed the dangers of underage drinking. It began by stating the number one place young people get alcohol is in their own home.

The film stated 1,700 college-age people die annually from alcohol-related incidents, and alcohol is the number one killer of young people in the nation. Alcohol, according to the film, kills more young people than all illegal drugs combined.

Some children begin drinking as early as the fifth and sixth grade, and the number of young women drinking is rapidly catching up to the number of young underage males who drink.

Those who begin drinking at an early age can have the frontal lobes in their brain damaged due to the alcohol. This will affect their brains ability to story long-term memory.

A panel consisting of Prosecuting Attorney Randy Wright, Juvenile Intake Officer Bubba Powers, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Dana Stone, Nevada County Ambulance Service owner Nick Hibbs, and Rev. Tony Hamilton, with the Church of Christ, talked about local problems with underage drinking.

All agreed the biggest problem is parents being in denial, saying their children arent drinking. Another problem is the parents who furnish alcohol to their children and childrens friends using the reasoning they arent doing anything wrong because the children are being supervised and nothing can go wrong.

Its a shame there arent more people here, Wright said. He told of a popular Little Rock cheerleader who died in an auto accident, which was alcohol-related. She had an alcohol problem, but it was hidden away by her parents and friends. No one in law enforcement wants things like this to happen.

Parents need to be clear-thinking, he said, when it comes to underage drinking and realize its against the law, even if its their children. Parents who think its permissible to serve alcohol to minors on weekends are criminally and civilly liable.

Prescott and Nevada County, he continued, are dry, and the only way young people can purchase alcohol is to buy it illegally. But, he added, those who sell alcohol to minors tend to also sell other things, such as drugs.

Wright pointed out the Arkansas Legislature has strengthened the penalty for minors in possession of alcohol. Any minor caught in possession automatically loses their drivers license until theyre 21, the age of majority in the state.

By the time it gets to me, Hibbs said, its too late. He gave a worst case scenario telling how a parent came upon a wreck their child was in. The problem was the childs skull had been fractured and brain matter was literally leaking out the nasal cavity. Parents need to stop their children from drinking.

Stone agreed by the time the situation gets to her, it tends to be too late. We see a lot of DWIs in district court, she said, and minor in possession. Usually by the time I see them, theyve moved from alcohol to drug use, but can still be in juvenile court.

Alcohol is the beginning to other drugs.

Stone said once someone loses their license for minor in possession, they must attend a driver safety course. Driving under the influence (DUI) for minors is 0.02. They can lose their license even if they arent driving. In Arkansas anyone registering 0.08 is charged with DWI. Young people, she said, who register 0.08 are charged with DWI just like adults.

The fine for DWI is $855 plus court cost, and 10 days in jail. However, all but one day in jail is usually suspended. Subsequent DWI charges carry heftier fines and mandatory jail time, with the fourth DWI charge being a felony offense, under Arkansas law.

Powers works with those under the age of 18

who are charged with crimes. When they get arrested, I get called, he said. I determine if they go to jail or are released to their parents, and base my decision on the parentss reaction.

Normally, he said, once a case comes to court the parents are denying responsibility and everyone else is the enemy. They deny their child did anything wrong.

Its a great idea to start education children early, he said. The youngest one Ive picked up was nine. He had a bottle of peppermint schnapps at school. This person is still messed up.

Powers said its fortunate Nevada County is dry, because underage drinking could become epidemic otherwise. We have counseling and rehabilitation and try to nip it in the bud, but there are times when destructive behavior lasts a lifetime.

Powers told those on hand about the Family in Need of Services (FINS) program. If there is a problem with a child, he said, something is going on, usually alcohol or drugs. A FINS order can be filed with little or no proof and intervention can occur. FINS is most often used by school districts, he added.

Hamilton, who also works with young people in his ministry, said young people are peculiar with their habits and demeanor. I learn a lot from them. Theyre very real about things. As a youth minister Im as blunt as I can be with them and have had good success. They either tell me somethings none of my business or they break down. This opens doors.

Its scary to see how quickly young people can get high. It only takes a few minutes.

Hamilton said there are a lot of faith-based systems that are doing some good in this area.

We need zero tolerance, Wright said, and young people need to know they will be held accountable for their actions. We can do this by better enforcing the rules and laws.

Powers said the 0.02 limit for minors isnt a high bar to be charged with public intoxication. Young people dont need to have alcohol. Nothing good can come from it.

There are parents, Stone said, who wont believe anything bad about their children. Its always someone elses fault. But we get calls all the time and see the same young people repeatedly. Its denial. Some parents need to open their eyes and talk with their children.

Hamilton theorized parents want to stay younger longer today and, thereby, allow their children to get involved in destructive behavior. Someone needs to be accountable, and it needs to be the parents.

A lot of children who drink are crying out for help, said Ann Jordan, Resource Officer with the Prescott School District. They talk to me saying their parents know, but wont say or do anything about what theyre doing. They [parents] need to wake up. Children drinking is bad and its up to the parents to do something about it. They need to face reality and admit they have a problem. Children need their parentss attention.