May 9, 2008
Wilton Bulletin Editorial: A sobering study
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It’s often hard to know exactly how to take mixed news.
On the one hand, Wilton has seen steady decreases in the use of cigarettes, alcohol and tobacco by teens over the past decade, in many cases, the numbers still eclipse national averages.
On the same day the members of the town’s Task Force to Reduce Underage Drinking were heralding the steady declines, Wilton teens, as they’re apt to do, proved that there’s always an exception to the rule, with drug and alcohol arrests, some in the school itself.
While parents may put their foot down when it comes to drug use, Wilton, like many wealthy towns in this area, has a culture of acceptance when it comes to underage drinking. Until that mentality shifts, their will always be, as there always has been, a substantial number of teens taking more than just a sip on Thanksgiving.
It used to be that a parent’s worst fear was that 3 a.m. phone call telling them their son or daughter was in a drunk driving accident. That was as far as their concern went when it came to safety risks from drinking.
For years, the thought has been that a supervised party, where the car keys are tossed into a basket and hidden away for the night, was the best way to avoid a tragedy and let “kids be kids.”
But recent studies show the perils of drinking fall far beyond a horrific wreck. Teen drinking has been attributed to slow or abnormal brain growth, at a time when the brain is just finishing its maturation.
Until the message hits home that drinking is more than just a “rite of passage” and can have real and significant consequences for the future, all Wilton will see is a slow downward trend, not the sudden drop that’s needed.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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