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Teacher Tells Teens To Drink Up
By Jamie Burch
Published: Wed, April 23, 2008 - 8:27 pm
That's just the tip of the iceberg.
31% started drinking before age 13.
24% admitted to binge drinking within the past 30 days.
Even if your child does not drink, there's a strong chance they've ridden with a friend who has been drinking. According to the website parentalyzer.org, 29% of Alabama high school students say they've done just that.
Five years ago, a group of concerned citizens joined forces with one goal in mind - finding ways to keep alcohol out of the hands of our children. In that time, the Underage Drinking Task Force has made great strides. But as we found out when we talked to local teenagers, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Click play to watch our special Community Coverage Report "Underage Drinking - What is the problem?" In it, you'll hear candid conversations with teenagers who give open and honest answers to questions like why do kids drink, how much do they drink and how available is alcohol?
We also ride along with Gulf Shores Police and members of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board as they bust underage drinkers on Spring Break. You don't want to miss what we caught on camera.
Plus, you'll meet a mother who lost her teenage son in a drunk driving crash 15 years ago. But she's turned her tragedy into triumph.
The most important thing we hope parents and teenagers will learn from our special report is that underage drinking is not only illegal, it can also have deadly consequences. Consequences that effect many more people than just the teenager who decided to have a few drinks.
The good news for parents is you are not alone. There is a wealth of resources in our area, places you can go to get help before it's too late. We've tried to make it easy for you to find. Simply click on any of the links below.
Drug Education Council
251.478.7855
2 Young 2 Drink
Parentalyzer.org
Alcohol Free Children
Too Smart To Start
The Cool Spot
News Map
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On the outskirts of town two other guys I knew were throwing back one last beer at a joint that thought any dead presidents picture was a good ID. Those two guys got into a bright red ‘57 Chevy (considered to be the hottest in town) and began to drive back to town. The driver had been stopped for speeding more times than most, so when he saw the lights flash in his rear-view mirror, he made the decision to run.
Police estimated he was doing over 100mph as he neared the bright red light at one intersection . My friends were at that intersection and began to cross with the green light. That ‘57 Chevy sliced through that old Ford like it was butter and bodies were strewn about for blocks.
No one walked away from that one and booze was to blame……