Thursday, May 01, 2008
Relish the prom; just don't regret it
Shanna Flowers
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Dear promgoers:
Elsewhere in this paper is the tragic, life-changing story of a young, underage drunken driver.
Kids and booze. Booze and kids. They don't mix. Oh gawd, how many times have you had to listen to that?
But just hear me out, particularly as many of you kick off prom season this weekend.
Let's be real: There's something about tuxedos, prom gowns, bracelet corsages and rented Hummer limos that make some of you forget your home training.
Truth is, some of you will do things Prom Night you otherwise wouldn't consider, Stephen Wallace of the national Students Against Destructive Decisions told me Wednesday.
"Kids tell us they feel extra pressure," Wallace said. "Prom, for whatever reason, turns up the heat."
For many of you, temptation will involve alcohol.
So let the word go forth again: Kids and booze are a bad trip.
Among other things, the combination brings unwanted attention -- as a group of Patrick Henry High School teens learned last year. They were disciplined for "an alcohol-related event" at the school's prom.
The mix of kids and booze may start off as prom hijinks but can sometimes alter lives. You can wind up in far worse places than a principal's office. An emergency room. A jail cell. Or a coffin.
The absolute fact of the matter is, somewhere in this country, someone's son, daughter, brother, sister or BFF dies every year because of prom-related drinking.
In 2006, 714 people under 21 were killed in alcohol-related accidents during prom and graduation season, according to a liquor industry group that fights drunken driving and underage drinking.
Your mom and dad don't need that worry -- or heartbreak.
So as you run the last-minute errands to pick up the tux or the strappy sandals, remember that school officials have laid down the law about proms and alcohol.
If you go to Salem High School, don't develop sudden amnesia about the letter Principal John Hall sent out about three weeks ago about the prom. He "very clearly" reminded you of the "elements of conduct code."
And William Fleming High School students, you know the drill:
"The same rules apply off campus at prom or any other school-sponsored event that would apply if it were on campus," Principal Susan Willis stressed.
Kids, be smart. Act so you can remember your prom, not the hangover you had the next morning.
Make sure it's a cherished memory, rather than a heart-wrenching tragedy.
