Troubled Teens Resources

Teen help often is initiated when one parent in a community has “had enough”. Teen crisis intervention designed to circumvent teenage drinking are often subverted by parents who have the misguided idea that if a teen drinking party is under “adult supervision”, that there is little damage done.

Well one parent in Lafayette has had enough with that mentality and has started an online petition to deal with it.

“Joan Grimes has decided to turn her outrage into action. She has written a petition asking the Lafayette City Council to “prohibit the hosting of private parties or gatherings where alcohol is consumed by minors.” Typically, these are called “Social Host Ordinances,” and they are becoming increasingly popular across the country. Berkeley just passed one, Orinda and Moraga have them on their books, San Diego and Ventura Counties have them, Marin County passed one unanimously last fall, and Alameda County was expected to pass one in May. Also, the Contra Costa Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board is collecting information for an ordinance for unincorporated Contra Costa County.”

(Source)

It is all too true that we will all be reading headlines this summer of this or that teen who lost their life because of drinking and driving. For the teen whose foolishness might cost the lives of their friends, they face a life forever shadowed by the guilt of that tragedy. Yet there are those parent who shrug off the dangers of alcohol and actions by concerned parents, such as the petition above, are needed when such irresponsible parenting brings harm to the community at large.