PARENTS PLEDGE TO SUPERVISE TEEN PARTIES

DIRECTORY IS SENT OUT WITH NAMES, PHONE NUMBERS

Hundreds of local families are toeing the "Party Line" by signing a pledge
that says they will not allow their children to have unsupervised parties
in their homes.

The Glastonbury Alcohol and Drug Council, a volunteer group, created the
Party Line last year to encourage communication among parents and try to
prevent underage drinking and drug use.

More than 550 families have signed the pledge, and a directory with their
names and phone numbers is being sent to parents townwide.

In addition to banning unsupervised parties at their homes, the families
have agreed they will not serve or allow alcohol to be served to anyone
under age 21 on their property.

They also said they will not allow illegal drugs in their homes and will
call other parents to ensure that gatherings at those houses are free of
alcohol and drugs.

Copies of the directory were sent recently to the approximately 700
families of children in middle school, and will go out to high schoolers'
parents in this month's school newsletter.

They are being sent to all families, not just those who signed the pledge.

Organizers had talked about the need for such a directory last summer, and
it took on greater urgency after two teenage boys were fatally stabbed
during a Fourth of July party on House Street.

"All of the people I talked with seemed positive and responsive about it. I
think the personal, face-to-face discussion was an important component,"
said Geralyn Laut, one of GLAD's organizers.

The Service Club of Glastonbury endorsed the project and donated money to
help distribute the list. It works like this: The parents of a child who is
going to a new friend's house can check the Party Line list to find out
whether that family has signed the pledge. The list includes phone numbers
so parents can call each other if they have concerns.

It is similar to the "Safe Homes" initiative, a national program adopted in
several local communities such as Mansfield, East Lyme and Salem.

Organizers of the Party Line hope that by spreading the network to the
parents of middle-schoolers, the rules will become part of the families'
routines while the children are still young.

It can be harder to introduce new restrictions on older children, the
organizers said.

For instance, parent Sheryl Sprague said it became a habit in her family
long ago, and is no surprise to her seventh- and ninth-grade daughters when
she calls their friends' parents to make sure they are supervised.