A small crowd discussed some big ideas about drugs and alcohol — Westport-style — at Town Hall last night.
Positive Directions and a panel of Staples students presented the results of several recent surveys.
Some results were unsurprising. Alcohol and marijuana use by teenagers is prevalent. There is a strong correlation between drinking and drugs. Parents underestimate what their own kids are doing.
Some of the results did surprise. Twenty of the parents surveyed had hosted a party with alcohol for teens — and nearly all said they were aware of the underage alcohol law. Among students and parents, cigarettes are perceived to be more harmful than either marijuana or alcohol.
But, as often happens, the best information came from the students themselves.
Four members of Staples’ Teen Awareness Group presented their own surveys. And while 60% of seniors (and 10% of juniors) admitted to drinking and driving, 80 percent said their parents have done the same thing. When asked whether they’ve ever been in a car with a drunk driver, student after student asked the TAG members: “Do my parents count?”
You bet they do. In more ways than they realize, parents count.
