REDUCE THE PERCEPTION OF SUMMIT AS A DRUNKEN PLAYGROUND

I was intrigued but not the least bit surprised by an article by
Kimberly Nicoletti entitled, "Summit's teens use more drugs than
national average" (SDN, Feb. 10).

Jeannie Ringleberg, executive director of Summit Prevention Alliance,
presented alarming facts on youth drug use in Summit County. The
meeting culminated with discussion groups. One suggestion was a
collaboration with ski resorts on marketing to reduce the perception
of Summit as a drunken playground.

I applaud the efforts by the drug coalition and I also urge new
members, including myself, to join the coalition.

Before I had the opportunity to express my praise in a letter to the
editor, I read the Sunday, Feb 13 edition of the Summit Daily News.
The entire front page was a giant photograph of a toddler with a teddy
bear strapped to his or her rear end, including a headline entitled,
"Neverland, avoiding adulthood in Summit County."

I can only assume that the author of this article did the research
about a 2003 poll by the university of Chicago's National Opinion
Research Center that indicates that most Americans believe adulthood
begins at 26.

If that is the case, I say let's raise the drinking age to 26, or
better still, reinstate the draft for men as well as women to 18 years
of age.

Let the military, or a mandatory two-to-three-year national community
service requirement, set a fire under their little Peter Pan butts. It
could also stem the onslaught of a Peterpandemic.

Could this Peterpademania be the reason that Summit teens use more
drugs than national average?

I assume that the author of this article is responsible for the quote,
"Growing up is hard to do, and these days many people in Summit County
are putting off adulthood until 26 and beyond."

The Summit Daily should make a mature decision and join in the
suggested collaboration with ski resorts on marketing to reduce the
perception of Summit as a drunken playground.

Neil Tuthill

Dillon