metro >> on the cover
Teens
•
Prom, graduation season means
extra vigilance for parents.
k
Ronelle Grier
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
room, there are steps parents can take to
help them enjoy the season and stay out of
trouble. Understanding the risks and conse-
quences of certain behaviors and actions can
lead to safer teens and calmer parents.
Legal Issues
It is against the law for anyone to drive while
legally intoxicated; in Michigan, this means
a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08 or
higher. For those under 21, it is illegal to con-
sume alcohol in any amount, whether or not
the individual is driving.
According to 48th
District Judge Marc
Barron, underage
drinking can result in
a Minor in Possession
(MIP) charge. The con-
sequences vary depend-
ing on circumstances,
Judge Marc
such as whether it is a
Barron
first offense, but teens
should be aware that col-
lege admission, scholarships and potential
employment can be affected, even if the
charge is eventually removed from the indi-
vidual's permanent record. The court system
regards teens 17 and older as adults, not
juveniles, and treats them accordingly.
Drinking and driving can result in a DUI
(Driving Under the Influence) conviction,
which could mean jail time and legal fees
as high as $10,000. If a drunk driver injures
someone else, the consequences are far more
severe. A DUI charge also includes driving
while under the influence of illegal drugs.
Parents who allow teens to drink in their
homes, believing it is safer than having the
kids go elsewhere to drink, may not realize
they are exposing themselves to potential
criminal or civil liability
"By serving or allowing alcohol at a house
party, you could be charged with contribut-
ing to the delinquency of a minor," said
Paul Walton, chief assistant prosecutor for
Oakland County.
Such charges could result in a jail sentence,
along with the involvement of the Michigan
8
May 15 • 2014
I
Contributing Writer
Parents need to be
vigilant to guard
against teen drinking.
Department of Human Services (DHS),
which usually includes a series of investiga-
tions to determine whether the parents are
fit to retain custody of their own children.
"Being the cool parent just isn't worth the
risk," Walton said.
Barron said some parents believe they are
eliminating risk by taking teens' car keys, but
driving while impaired is not the only risk;
teenage drinking can result in alcohol poi-
soning, injury or even death, in which case
parents could face homicide-related charges.
"You think you're providing a safe haven,
but how safe is it? What if a teen had an
allergic reaction?" Barron said. "Also, by
allowing underage drinking, the parent is
reinforcing the idea that it's OK to turn a
blind eye to the law. Is that the kind of role
model you want to be?"
Danger Lurks
Experts agree there are good reasons to sup-
port a drinking age of 21. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) in Atlanta, drivers 19 or younger are
three times more likely to be involved in fatal
car accidents. When alcohol is added to the
mix, along with the distraction of other teen-
age passengers and the fact that teens have
the lowest rate of seat belt use, the odds of a
tragedy occurring are even greater.
There are also physiological reasons why
teens should not drink. Adolescent brain
development usually continues until the
mid-20s, and using drugs and alcohol before
this point can adversely affect IQ and emo-
tional stability; it can even trigger mental
illness.
Alcohol poisoning is also a serious risk
for underage drinkers, who are unused to
monitoring their consumption. The parent of
a teen who participated in a program at the
Maplegrove rehabilitation facility at Henry
Ford Medical Center in West Bloomfield said
there were a number of Jewish teens in the
group who had experienced severe alcohol
poisoning, a serious consequence of under-
age drinking.
"It's a miracle some of these kids are still
alive," said the parent, who asked to remain
anonymous.
A local teen, who asked for anonymity, got
alcohol poisoning during a family vacation
and became violently ill for several hours.
"I was having a good time and suddenly
it felt like a bomb went off in my stomach:'
she said.
Lisa Kaplan, a social worker who runs
programs for adolescents and families at
Maplegrove, urges parents to recognize the
risks of teenage drinking and drug use.
"It is possible to become addicted to mari-
juana," said Kaplan, who also coordinates
the Kids in Charge drug education program
for the West Bloomfield School District. "It's
not as harmless as many
people believe:'
Eric (not his real
name), a local senior, has
engaged in occasional
drinking with college
friends but has not felt the
desire to try marijuana or
other drugs. He said many
Lisa Kaplan
of his friends smoke mari-
juana to relieve boredom.
Research shows that
marijuana can limit the brain's effectiveness,
slow thinking and impair coordination. A
number of studies also have shown an asso-
ciation between chronic marijuana use and
increased rates of anxiety, depression and
schizophrenia.
There also has been a dramatic increase
in prescription drug abuse by teens, accord-
ing to Judy Rubin, executive director of the
Tri-Community Coalition, a nonprofit drug
and alcohol prevention organization that
includes representatives
from Berkley, Huntington
Woods and Oak Park.
Teens have been known
to rummage through their
friends' medicine cabinets
and help themselves to
whatever strikes their
fancy, even if they don't
Judy Rubin
know how it will affect
them. She advises par-
ents to keep all the family prescriptions in a
Teens on page 10