Mar 28, 2008 10:10 am US/Pacific
Marin Community Meets To Discuss Teen Drinking
KENTFIELD (CBS 5 / KCBS) ―
Concerned teens and parents who attended a town hall meeting in Kentfield Thursday night expressed concern that underage drinking is out of control in parts of Marin County.
Some students from Redwood High School went so far as to make a video about underage drinking. "Binge drinking in Marin is very high, and it's very scary," declared Tamalpais High School junior Wyatt Frei.
A number of kids came together for the meeting, which was organized by the Youth Leadership Institute. One topic of discussion was the fact that it's not hard for kids to get hard liquor. "A lot steal from their parents," explained Erin Shankel, 16. "A lot get people who are 21 to buy it for them."
Studies show that southern Marin teens drink far more than most kids their age. "They're getting passed out drunk every weekend and I can see that it's affecting their grades," warned Shankel. "The way they treat their friends, I want to change that."
Some attendees pointed out that the kids who perhaps needed to hear the message most of all didn't even show up for the meeting. "It's not going to be a one day fix, it's not going to just, oh, instant fix, oh, great," acknowledged Frei. "But it's trying to get students to realize you can have fun without drinking."
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