Where I Stand — Guest columnist Jordan Butler: Tackling alcohol abuse

Friday, Jan. 3, 2003 | 9:41 a.m.

Editor's note: More than 1,000 students from 30 Clark County high schools participated in the 47th annual Sun Youth Forum Nov. 26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The students were divided into groups to discuss various topics. A spokesperson was chosen from each discussion group to write a column about the students' findings. Jordan Butler of Coronado High School writes about his group's discussion of underage drinking. THERE WERE 39 juniors and seniors in our group along with moderator Bob Stoldal, vice president of news at KLAS Channel 8 and general manager of Las Vegas ONE. After a brief introduction, we tackled a controversial question: Do bars need to better enforce the legal drinking age? After the entire group agreed that they do (who in their right mind wouldn't agree?), the moderator asked the group how teenagers obtain their alcohol and why.

One method minors use to obtain alcohol is to go on a "beer run." Imagine three teenagers walking into a grocery store. They stroll over to the alcohol aisle. The teenagers grab a 12-pack in each hand. They run out the door with beer in hand. They jump into a car and drive away.

This method of stealing beer has been titled a "beer run." The moderator was shocked. He had never heard of teenagers doing such actions. I then rethought the entire concept in my head. I was familiar with "beer runs," but I never explored the concept to the point where I was disgusted with the perpetrators.

Somehow, through my high school life, I was somewhat conditioned to link the "obtainment of alcohol" to "beer runs" without any moral insight on the issue because of its regularity. I realized that many teenagers of today, not just myself, don't even wince at the thought of "beer runs" anymore -- it is just not rare to hear about it in teenage life.

Some representatives in our group elaborated on the passiveness of bars. Students complained that most bars don't even card upon entrance or even when asked for an alcoholic beverage. Other representatives discussed the lack of awareness of alcohol and drugs.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E., was the main topic of debate. This program, offered by police officers to students in fifth and eighth grades, is aimed at teaching children the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. The entire group agreed that the program is unsuccessful and is more of a game than an educational program (I'm sorry, D.A.R.E., but those word-search puzzles didn't help me in learning the negative effects of heroin). In addition, D.A.R.E. has been scientifically proven to be ineffective in helping teenagers abstain from drugs.

It was unanimously decided that alcohol is a huge problem among teenagers. One student in our group said teenagers abuse alcohol and drugs because of its taboo. Others said peer pressure plays a huge part in drinking alcoholic beverages or smoking marijuana. Most, however, believe that teenagers abuse drugs to "get away" from reality.

Solutions were offered:

I suggest that there should be stricter vendor codes for the distribution of alcohol (which may include chain-link fences). If beer is kept behind the cashier's desk or in a safely protected room, I guarantee "beer runs" will prove to be very unsuccessful in the future.

By taking these simple steps to prevent underage drinking, my group believes our streets will be cleaner, our town will be safer, and our children will be soberer.