Lauren Foley

IT'S UNREALISTIC

Presently, laws in the United States restrict alcoholic beverages from the
population younger than twenty-one years of age. However, it is unrealistic
to believe that adolescents, particularly high school students, will not
stretch their newfound independence and individuality by experimenting with
these forbidden drinks. With the devastating deaths of two Woburn Memorial
High School students it is imperative that action be taken to avoid future
loss of life prematurely.

At the fifth grade level police officers from the Woburn Police Department
speak to students regularly about the dangers of drinking and drugs. At
this age children are excited to do as the program suggests and "Just Say
No" as they pledge to reject any drug or alcohol related offers made to
them by peers.

However, these children will soon commence on a difficult journey to
adulthood. Middle school brings not only a heavier workload with more
responsibility, yet it brings hormones, new classmates, intellectual
thinking, individuality, and the awful mixture of peer pressure and
self-conciseness. A child in sixth grade whom is extremely aware of every
move he makes, afraid that his peers are monitoring, talking, or laughing
at him, will be anxious to do anything to make a friend; including "trying"
marijuana or "sampling" alcohol. Creating a mandatory class that urges
Woburn's youth not to dabble in these harmful habits will positively
reinforce these children throughout the teen years.

To reinforce this concept, the Woburn school system should integrate an
elective, if not mandatory, class into the curriculum that addresses the
dangers of drinking while under age. The two most prominent groups of this
nature at the high school, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
and DARE Role Models, could have an integral part in shaping of the
syllabus in order to ensure that a full range of topics is covered.
Potentially, topics may include: why teenagers are at risk for drinking;
teen statistics of accidents (both fatal and otherwise); the harmful side
effects of experimenting with drugs at such a young, tender age; guest
speakers whom are willing to share intimate stories with the Woburn youth
in order to avoid future traumatic situations.

Along with these classes the Woburn school system must strengthen the
anti-drug movement throughout the community. Although Woburn Memorial High
School has volunteer-based groups, such as SADD and DARE Role Models, that
are anti-drinking and drugs, in order to truly impact the lives of the
student body these groups must become stronger and make their presence
better known in the community. The Woburn Memorial High School
administration could easily set a standard minimum of projects and
fundraisers in order to ensure that these groups remain known by the students.

The collaboration of the Woburn Police Department and Woburn school system
has the potential to assist and save thousands of lives. By integrating a
class from the fifth grade level through graduation adolescents will
constantly be aware of the consequences of their actions and the potential
impact that each decision has on their lives. In order for the Woburn
community to avoid losing any more of its children action must be taken. A
class instructing students of the dangers of drug abuse is the first step
in doing so.