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Students, parents and community members are working together to curb underage drinking by studying how to change the environments that teenagers are in.
A diverse coalition of about 40 members, representing Los Gatos and Saratoga teens, schools, counselors, police and church groups, met Jan. 25 at La Hacienda Inn to address what communities can do to provide a supportive environment so students don't make poor choices. Also present were representatives from "Alive ... and Loving Life," a community group that formed after the 2002 drunken driving death of Los Gatos teen Eric Quesada.
"Most people know what's good for them, but we don't always act on it," said L.D. Hirschklau, a program director at the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District.
The coalition meeting kicked off a three-year $224,000 grant that the district was awarded by the Santa Clara County's Department of Alcohol and Drug Services. The first year is designed for planning.
The district was the only one in the county to receive this grant. The wealth in the Los Gatos and Saratoga communities was one reason why, Hirschklau said.
She cited statistics that show families with incomes over $125,000 show more depression, anxiety and substance abuse than middle- or lower-income families. The average income for families in Los Gatos and Saratoga is $138,000.
"Affluence is not a protective factor," she said.
Organizers say that making environmental changes is key. While students already are educated on the effects of drinking, there are factors in the community, such as unlocked liquor cabinets at home, that send mixed messages.
"This puts the responsibility on the manager of the environment to make the changes so that young people don't have to make those hard decisions over and over again," said Sharon O'Hara, who facilitated the meeting.
Locking up those cabinets and working with businesses to change advertising signs are ways community members can make environmental changes.
Coalition members are now crafting surveys that will go out to student and parent groups during February to assess attitudes and norms.
"You need to have some sort of data so that when you make policy changes you can measure against where you are," said Alicia Barton, a youth coordinator.
Students who are participating in the community process said they did so because they wanted to do their part in stopping excessive drinking among their peers.
For Arielle Tieger, a junior at Los Gatos, her friends' sense of invincibility worries her.
"I'm always the driver. It's a big job, and it's a good thing," she said. "But I worry about what happens when I'm not there."
Paul Stavropoulos, a freshman at Saratoga, said that not doing anything about underage drinking "will haunt us in the end." He said underage drinking is not a myth.
"Usually, people think that Saratoga is the last place with a problem," he said. "People think underage drinking is not a problem. It is."
Carol Wolfe, a Los Gatos parent who works with youth groups at Congregation Shir Hadesh, said the focus on parents should be just as strong as it is on teens or environments.
"Parents have a big responsibility," she said, pointing to unsupervised home parties and adults who supply alcohol at parties as problematic factors.
Hirschklau was pleased at the momentum generated at the first meeting and said that such an issue needs to be addressed by the community as a whole.
"The message is that underage drinking is not a minor issue, pun intended," she said. "It's all about us. I think we can do it. A lot of people want to make a change."
The coalition will meet again on March 1. For more information, contact L.D. Hirschklau at 408.354.2520 ext. 222.
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