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Parent teen forum draws few parents

12.15.11

December 15, 2011
By GLENN GRIFFITH
Community News

CLIFTON  PARK — Shenendehowa Community Coalition were there but where were all the parents? That was the major question confronting members of the Shenendehowa Community Coalition at last week’s parent-teen forum on substance abuse in the Shen school district.

The coalition was established six years ago to reduce and prevent risky behavior among youth. Since its formation, data from several district-wide surveys of adults and teens has shown that Shen seniors are above the state average in the number of teens using drugs or alcohol.

Twelve sectors of the southern Saratoga County community are represented in the coalition including teens, adults, CAPTAIN, religious organization, and the school district itself.

The Dec. 7 forum was one of several that have been held in the last year.

The forums allow adults to learn the details of teen drinking and substance abuse in the school district from the teens themselves. Coalition officials said with each one there has been a readiness on the part of the teens to discuss the issue but a decided lack of adult participation.

Last week’s forum in the High School East Library drew 10 teens, including the night’s seven-member panel, and just six parents. The panel was made up of five Shen students and two Shen graduates who are now in college.

For nearly an hour Joe Kelly, Billy Kelly, Vince Krawiecki, Olivia Corbett, Molly Poniatowski, Jess Wolfe and Kristy Gunsel discussed why and how teens use drugs and drink alcohol.

Without admitting to any crimes they gave graphic details of teen parties, drug sales, and the social pressure teens face. They answered every question posed as best they could, holding very little back.

The panel made it clear teens are very social and that is part of the problem. You want to belong to a group, said one panelist.

You can’t say no to everyone. You’d be an outcast in a huge school. If you don’t play sports, and you’re not in the clubs and someone asks if you drink you say ‘yes,’ whether you do or not, because that makes you part of the group.

“There’s no discussion of who is the least drunk to drive when a group heads out from a party for more beer,” said Billy Kelly, answering a question. “It’s just, ‘He drives good drunk. Let him drive.’’ “Safety,” said Joe Kelly, “is never a thought. They just want the alcohol.”

When discussing marijuana use in the high school, Joe Kelly dismissed the idea that students were high while in class. “Nine of 10 times kids that are bringing it to school aren’t going to use it in school,” he said. “They’re going to sell it.”

The Community Coalition was able to sponsor the forum thanks to an $800,000 grant from the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. The forum and the following discussion was lead by coalition facilitator Evan Williamson, a former social studies teacher hired by the coalition. He was assisted by Jenn Wood and Robin Lyle.

Wood does statistical analysis for the coalition. The data she provides will allow the organization to apply for more grant money.

One of the longest discussions of the evening revolved around the issue of social host legislation. If proposed and passed in the state legislature, the person providing the location for the teen drinking parties would be held responsible for the teen activities whether they were aware of what went on or not. That is not the case with the present laws.

Craig Masterson, one of the few adults who attended the forum, asked the teens what the coalition could do to help prevent alcohol abuse.

“There never was a clear answer to my question,” Masterson said afterward, “but this is a worthwhile program and the parents are the key.”

Teen panelists Kristy Gunsel and Jess Wolfe are members of SADD, Students Against Destructive Decisions.

“This is very important to us,” Wolfe said. “We’ve known someone hit by a drunk driver. When it comes to personal situations, you realize it’s not something that someone told you. It’s real.”

The Community Coalition plans more forums like the one last week and is looking to put them up on the web.

They are also examining other ways to get the data out to parents on where Shen stands with teen substance abuse when compared to other Capital Region school districts.

Shen Coalition promotes Social Host legislation

12.06.11

As the winter holidays approach, communities need to be alert to underage drinking. Whether its college students reconnecting with high school friends, teens with greater accessibility to liquor cabinets well stocked for holiday celebrations, or youth attending drinking parties over the school vacation – underage alcohol use predictably increases this time of year.

The Shenendehowa Community Coalition encourages legislators in New York to take a serious look at what is commonly referred to as social host legislation. Twenty-seven states nationwide have already passed a statewide social host law, including our neighbors Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The cost of underage drinking in NYS is just too high, both in terms of adolescent health risks and actual taxpayer dollars, to overlook legislation that directly targets the source of most teen alcohol use.

What is social host legislation? Local surveys show that rather than trying to buy it themselves, most youth who drink get alcohol from a social host — friends over age 21, sneaking it from home, or house parties. “Social host” refers to the person responsible for the location where underage drinking occurs. While existing law makes it illegal to sell or serve alcohol to minors, social host legislation extends clear responsibility to those individuals who allow underage drinking. This includes parents who are present but deny knowledge of drinking on their property or who leave teens at home unsupervised in spite of a history of underage drinking parties. It would also include college students who allow underage youth to participate in parties in their leased homes or apartments.

The law is not intended to apply to unwitting landowners who are truly unaware but to adults who demonstrate a pattern of negligence towards underage alcohol use on their property. Social host legislation serves a deterrent effect, encouraging property owners to prevent such parties.

Surveys show worrisome levels of underage alcohol use, including binge drinking, in Saratoga County. Rates are significantly above national and state averages. High school students, in focus groups conducted in 2009, said that underage drinking is “mainstream” and mostly occurs at house parties. 80% of kids who drank alcohol said they did so “at someone’s home.” By grades 11-12, binge drinking rates among youth in southern Saratoga County exceed the state by over 14 percentage points (43.4% vs. 28.2%). Tellingly, 12th graders in focus groups deny much binge drinking occurs until it was defined for them as 5 or more drinks in a row.

This reveals that binge drinking is actually very common and that, in fact, 5 drinks is viewed by most as moderate alcohol consumption. A 2004 publication of the National Academies of Sciences finds that underage house parties are high risk settings for binge drinking and associated alcohol problems. Very young drinkers are often introduced to heavy drinking behaviors at these events.

According to the Surgeon General, there are 5,000 deaths per year in the U.S. among young people under 21 as a result of alcohol use. No parent wants their child to have an alcohol problem, be involved in an alcohol-related crash or sexual assault, fall out a window during spring break, or suffer from alcohol poisoning. Yet, many adults dismiss underage drinking as a “rite of passage” or “kids will be kids.” Unfortunately, however, teens experience a wide range of problems when they are involved with alcohol and binge drinking. Fights, injuries, regretted sexual encounters, and property damage are directly connected to teen alcohol use. Regular use before age 15 leads to a five-fold increase in the likelihood of future alcohol abuse problems over those who delay drinking until age 21.

There are financial costs associated with underage drinking as well. In 2007, according to the NYS Office on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, the state spent over $3.4 billion to address problems related to adolescent alcohol use. This includes $230 million for youth alcohol treatment, $128 million for property damage costs, and $119 million associated with injuries youth suffered while under the influence of alcohol.

Communities have options for reducing underage drinking and its dangerous consequences, and no one strategy is the answer. The greatest impact comes when a community delivers a consistent message about teen alcohol use. A social host law provides law enforcement officials an important tool to prevent tragedy rather than react to it. It assists both the adult and the child to make wise decisions. Finally, social host legislation reinforces a consistent message that underage drinking is unhealthy, unsafe and unacceptable.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Evan Williamson
Coalition Coordinator

Evan Williamson coordinates the Shenendehowa Community Coalition, an initiative of the Saratoga County Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council located in Saratoga Springs, NY. The Shenendehowa Community Coalition was formed in 2006 to build a community environment that promotes healthy development and growth for youth. In partnership with the school district, the coalition conducts surveys and focus groups with middle and high school students annually.

Join the coalition at Shenendehowa East High School Library on Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m., for a high school-aged panel on underage drinking and a community discussion of social host legislation. For more information, contact Mr. Williamson at 581-1230.

Community Coalition Releases New Logo

01.27.11

Submitted by Nick Antz, WNYT Web Producer
Thursday, January 27th, 1:11 p.m.

The final design was picked from 25 logos submitted by students from Sallie Way’s graphic design class. Each student was instructed to design and develop a logo that demonstrates community ties, with messaging that supports the Coalition’s overall mission and captures the attention of a wide target audience– teens, adults, parents, community leaders, and administrators.

The three finalists included, Linnea Taylor, Melissa Scheibner and Shannon Smith with the winner selected by a vote of the entire Coalition. Shannon Smith’s logo was selected based on its positive, energetic graphic and accompanying tag line “Shaping better decisions.” Attached is a photo of her design.

The Shen Community Coalition is comprised of youth and adults from the school district, CAPTAIN, Clifton Park Elks, Town of Clifton Park, The Prevention Council, Saratoga County District Attorney, Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services of Saratoga County, St. Edward the Confessor, Seton Health, United Way of the Greater Capital Region, the Saratoga County Youth Bureau, along with other local agencies and organizations. The Coalition’s vision is a safe and healthy environment where alcohol and substance use by youth is eliminated and every member of our community is aware of and involved in prevention of substance abuse.

125 High Rock Avenue, | Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 | 518-581-1230

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