Underage drinking: It's everybody's problem

It is the weekend, and a group of kids are at a party. By the next morning one of those partygoers, a young man, is taken to the hospital barely breathing. He later dies, a victim of alcohol poisoning. Within a couple of weeks, three other young men — ages 19, 23 and 23 — are arrested and charged with providing alcohol to the minor. Four lives changed forever, all because of underage drinking.

The recent death of Nikolas Gallegos, an 18-year-old SFA student, is just one of 1,700 deaths nationally of young adults ages 18 to 24 caused by alcohol, according to Mother's Against Drunk Driving. Most of those students, 81 percent, will get their alcohol from an adult who purchased it legally, according to the 2007 Texans Standing Tall Report Card.

Sixty-five percent of students will obtain alcohol at a party, according to the report.

Alcohol is still considered to be the most widely abused substance among Texas students, with nearly 66 percent reporting they had used alcohol at some point in their lives. While this statistic is down slightly from the 2004 number of 70 percent, it still shows a majority of students are participating in underage drinking.

"Alcohol use or abuse continues to be the most prevalent problem among college students in Texas, causing adverse personal and social consequences for young adults, campuses and the community as a whole," stated the report.

The problem, according to representatives of some local agencies, is not lack of education. In fact, Gallegos, along with most of the freshman at SFA, completed a mandatory alcohol-prevention program highlighting the dangers of drinking. But as is the case with many lessons, learning what should be done is no guarantee it will be done.

The problem is environmental, experts say.

In his Call to Action released in September, former Surgeon General Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu said, "The media and the larger social culture, including how alcohol is marketed and portrayed, contribute to alcohol's appeal to young people."

The thought is echoed by the head of a local agency dedicated to the prevention of youth substance abuse.

"Environmental changes have the biggest impact," said Janet Taylor, executive director of The Coalition.

Because drinking is legal for adults, it is sometimes considered a rite of passage... "just kids being kids," said Moritsugu. "It's important to keep sending the message that the community does not approve of underage drinking."

It is a message taken seriously by local law enforcement.

In Lufkin, in the past year, there have been several arrests of adults who have hosted parties where alcohol was available to minors.

And, in the case of Gallegos, investigators were quick to hold accountable those who held the party and furnished the alcohol.

Underage drinking is everybody's problem, Moritsugu said. "And its solution is everyone's responsibility."

Lufkin Daily News