It’s bound to
happen: sometime after your child outgrows the need for a babysitter, but
before starting college, you are going to leave the house. Yes, parents
do like to go out for an evening, maybe even take a weekend away. But
there is a justified fear that, no matter if your child is the most
responsible teen in town, that there could be trouble. Teens and house
parties add up to trouble in too many cases.
“My folks are
going to be gone Friday night. Want to come over for pizza?”
A simple invitation from your kid to a friend…that can be text-messaged
through the school, IM’d across town and before you know it, a quiet night
can turn into house party havoc. When parents think about underage
drinking at house parties, they might flash to images of a trashed home or
kids acting wild. Those are valid fears, but there are even worse
consequences. Students drive to parties, or ride with friends. And then,
after the party and the drinking, they get back in their cars to drive
home. Tickets, car crashes, and funerals are all potential endings to
the one party gone wrong.
Underage drinking
parties do lead to tragedy. In
April 2006, an 18-year-old Sioux Falls student drove to a 19-year-old’s
house party. The 18-year-old girl was downing Captain Morgan rum. When
she left the house, she gave a lift to a passenger who had also been
drinking at the party. She got behind the wheel of her car and was
driving on a gravel road when she lost control and rolled in a ditch. She
was wearing her seat belt but died of severe head injuries. Toxicology
reports showed her blood alcohol content was .173, more than twice the
legal limit for an adult. The 19-year-old man who hosted the party was
arrested on a misdemeanor charge.
A month later, 18-year-old Dustin
Holter's home was decked out for a celebration, with a tent ready to offer
shade to partygoers. The family had all looked forward to Dustin's
graduation. But the expected party turned into a gathering for mourning
and support. Early that morning, Dustin was driving home from a party
where drinking was going on. Near Hartford, he lost control and rolled
the car into the ditch. He was not wearing his seat belt, was thrown from
the car and killed. His blood alcohol level was .134.
Your home. A
friend’s house. A stranger’s place. A house party at any one of them can
be deadly. Be a parent – it’s what your kids really need.
