As parent's you have a responsibility. You must get your child through infancy, the preteen years, the teen years and on into adulthood intact. Alive, well, whole, complete, with
some semblance of maturity, integrity, honesty, kindness, compassion, manners and common sense. If you don't do this.... YOU HAVE FAILED. You have failed your child. Some kids are going to go astray no
matter what we do as parent's but at the end of the day if you can honestly say "I did all that I could do" and know in your heart that you did, you are not to blame. But there are far too many parent's that take the exact opposite stance ... Do Nothing & Allow Everything. It is not an easy task, it is much easier to put the job on to others or to ignore the problem, give into the
endless begging and the "but the other kids ...." this is not about what is easy this is about what is the right thing to do. Parenting is the most important job you will ever have in this life and if you mess if up not only do you mess of the life of your child but if effects their children and their children's children and so on down the line. So pay attention to what is going on
around you, say NO more often, turn off the electronics and toss the cell phone. You only get one chance with your children. * |
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently explored
and compared drinking patterns of adults and juveniles of driving age. Both groups were asked to answer six questions and to give reasons for their answers. Here are the results:
QUESTION | ADULTS | JUVENILES | If
you decide to drink anything how do you consume it? | Sip or consume moderately | Guzzle or gulp
| If you now decide to get in your car, where do you go? | Home | Cruise Around | What time of the day or night are you most likely to do so? | 2:00 am - 4:00 am | 11:00 PM - 1:00 am | How do you operate a vehicle? | Slowly or erratically | Fast | Is there anyone in the car with you? | No |
Yes, 3 to 5 friends | Where are you when you decide to drink? |
At a bar or at a home party | At a party and around a car |
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With the above survey results in mind, a report released in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on March 20, 2000, found that the relative risk of death for a 16 year old with
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1 passenger in the car is 39 times higher than the rate if the driver were alone. | |
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86% higher with 2 passengers |
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282% higher with 3 or more passengers |
Unfortunately, when kids drink and drive, they usually have 3 to 5 friends in the car with them.
Which Car Do You Want Your Child Riding In? |
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| Then Take A Stand .... Limit the number of kids in the car, know where they are and do not condone drinking! |
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The Johnson County Task Force on Drug & Alcohol Abuse, Inc. believes the responsibility lies with every clear thinking, concerned, non-addicted
person. So far, too few have come forward in Johnson County to make a significant impact upon the overall problem. But the few who have, have made a tremendous difference in the lives of some very worthwhile local youth. See our volunteer opportunities page to learn how you can help.
This threat to the future of today's youth in Johnson County could be altered dramatically....if more people in Johnson County wanted to be a part of the solution. If that happens to be you, e-mail or call us before it's too late for one more local young person.
Please look at the volunteer opportunities we have to offer
POINTS TO PONDER When kids see adults buying cases of beer or wine to have for a family reunion, football game or block party, they see that even the adults they care about associate alcohol with fun and relaxation.
When kids see adults come home from a hard day at work or whatever and pour a drink, they associate "winding down" with alcohol. Need to reduce stress .... have a drink. When kids see their own parents or their friends' parents providing alcohol to kids at parties, they learn that those adults believe it is more important to have a good time and party, that it is to obey the law. As adults we need to send consistent messages, through words and actions, to the youth around us. This might mean changing the way you do things. Find ways to have fun that don't involve alcohol Show youth that you care by getting involved and teach by example. Kids learn what they live, YOU are their teacher.
IT'S THE LAW IN KANSAS In Kansas, it is a crime to possess alcohol if you are under the age of 21. If you are caught in possession, charged with a crime and convicted, you will have a criminal record. Kansas Criminal Statute - K.S.A. 41-727 Besides having a criminal record there are other aspects of the conviction to
think about. Court costs, fines, attorney fees and other related expenses are very high and along with this the child will probably have to report to a probation or diversion officer on a weekly or monthly basis for at least a year. There are random alcohol and drug tests and a drug evaluation by a treatment professional. There are counseling and educational classes that the child will probably have to attend. Community service hours will be required and the
driver's license will be suspended for a long time. Many schools now consider such charges reason for expulsion from sports and other extracurricular activities, YES, the school will know about the conviction. The child's ability to get scholarships or financial aid for higher education may be affected. This might also impact your current job situation or the ability to get a job in the future and in some instances the military may even snub you. Juvenile court records, for youth age 14 and older, are no longer
confidential in Kansas. This means that anyone can see that record for any reason. It is a crime to provide alcohol to someone under the age of 21. If you are caught providing alcohol to a minor you can be charged with a crime and sued by the parent's of the minor you supplied it to. If that minor is involved in a car accident or in some other way hurts or kills another person, the adult can be charged at a far greater level. Not to mention the guilt that adult would carry around for a lifetime. Kansas Criminal Statute - K.S.A. 21-3610 It is just as illegal to drive under the influence (DUI) of drugs such as marijuana as it is to drive when drinking. Anyone over the age of 13 charged with DUI is subject to the same penalties as an adult. The law considers juveniles as adults in traffic matters. The minimum age to legally purchase tobacco products in Kansas is age 18. If under age 18 you can be ticketed and fined for possession if caught.
Teens generalize. They cannot distinguish between it being OK to violate alcohol laws, but not OK to violate other laws. In 1998, 41% of all Kansas alcohol-related fatalities involved a drinking driver less than 26 years old. |
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*The opinion expressed is that of the webmaster and not of the organization
I am interested in your opinions
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