Underage Drinking: It’s Time to Get Real!
May 16, 2008 by JoAnne Pritchard, Novi

Novi 52nd District Court Magistrate Judith Holtz told a 20 yr. old repeat offender, whose mother admits he has struggled with the disease of substance abuse since high school, " Here is my suggestion to you … climb up on the roof of your house and jump off; either that or get in a bathtub filled with hot water and slash your wrists; then you will be dead; it will be cheaper; it will be faster and in the long run it will be less painful to anybody who cares about you, because that’s where you’re headed now, and the best part of it is you won’t take somebody else with you”.

70% of respondents to the WXYZ poll said this wasn’t too harsh. Maybe you feel Judge Holtz was just trying to make a point with a third time offender or you thought the words a little callous but excusable. I’m with the 30% - shocked that anyone, much less a judge, would suggest this to a struggling youth and stricken with fear, that this might spiral him deeper to where he just does it.

My prayers are with this family. My intellect and my energy are focusing in on this as a symptom of a system that has failed and is using extreme measures for life support.

Drinking under the age of 21 is a reality. Studies show it is normative behavior. Our “children” are legal adults at 18, yet it is illegal for parents to serve them a drink in the privacy of their own home. The role of parents and the rights of these young adults are marginalized and compromised. Data and statistics lacking context are often used to rationalize “Legal Age 21”. Here are some facts that tell the rest of the story:

• The right to set any drinking age is in the states' control. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act., however, effectively established a nationwide limit by removing 10% of annual federal highway funding from states that chose an age below 21.
   
• Statistics indicate that fewer young adults are drinking, but those that choose to drink do so more heavily, harmfully and in riskier situations.
   
• Since 1998, fatalities due to alcohol off the highways are increasing. In the current environment, drinking is not in the open – it’s behind closed doors, in a dark corner or a remote location. This creates greater risk – for the drinker and the innocent by-stander.
   
• Compared to peers in 22 other countries where the drinking age is lower, American students have the highest rate of drinking and driving.
   
• Traffic fatalities began to decline in 1969 (over 10 years before Legal Age 21). Why? Seatbelts, air bags, safer cars, higher awareness and enforcement (seat belt laws etc) , designated drivers and so on. These factors have greatly impact the often quoted 18-21 year old driving fatality statistics.

The main effect from “Zero Tolerance” policies in our community and schools regarding underage drinking (I’m not talking about drinking & driving) is risky behavior. The enforcement experience often pits youth and parents against “the system” - wasting time, energy and money, with intended lessons lost in the quagmire. Parents, uneasy with this topic in the first place as they recall their youth and think of their own lifestyle choices, struggle to keep perspective and reinforce the right messages.

CHOOSE RESPONSIBILITY (CR) is a nonprofit organization founded to stimulate informed and dispassionate public discussion about alcohol in American culture and to consider policies which will effectively empower young adults age 18 to 20 to make mature decisions about the place of alcohol in their own lives. (CR) promotes balance, maturity and common sense. Check out chooseresponsibility.org.

We need this kind of open discussion in Novi. I’ve joined this group and have started talking with community leadership. I hope you will too.

JoAnne Pritchard, Novi