High schools should adopt alcohol training for parents
Lake Shore Central Senior High School requires parents to attend mandatory alcohol and drug training before their children are allowed to purchase tickets to dances.

The training covers pressures youth face, legal issues, signs and symptoms of abuse, recognizing drugs and paraphernalia and health risks associated with abuse.

Once a parent attends a 90-minute training session, their teens are eligible to attend school dances for the next four years, including Senior Prom, Junior Ball, fall homecoming dances and the winter semi-formal.

"We're not out to punish kids or keep them from prom," said R. Terrance Redman, principal of Lake Shore. "We're just trying to get parents the information they need to become more effective partners in the effort to keep our students safe. A 90-minute investment of time, once every four years, is really not that much to ask if you think about it."

We agree with Lake Shore's policy and think other area high schools should implement such a program. Contrary to popular belief, youth listen to their parents.

We realize it is too late to begin the program this year, but superintendents should look into implementing a similar policy before the first dance of the next school year.

Statistics show about 58 percent of 16-year-olds have consumed alcohol to get drunk. One in five of those teenagers drank and drove, according to state statistics.

There is a major underage drinking problem in the state. One way to decrease the amount of youth alcohol abuse is by getting parents involved.

If parents set boundaries and do not support underage drinking, then fewer teens would take that first sip.

Parents need to know what signs to look for if their child comes home under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The mentality parents have that it's "not my kid" is a deadly game to play. Without parental guidance, children do fall victim to the peer pressures that are out there.

Forums such as the one at Lake Shore High School provide advice for parents and reiterate the dangers and pressures that youth face everyday.

The legal drinking age was raised to 21 for a reason. Don't be a facilitator to underage drinking. You are liable for serving alcohol to minors, and your actions set an example for youth today.

We challenge the high schools to implement mandatory drug/alcohol training for parents for one year. Get feedback from parents, then decide if it is worth making it a policy.