By MARIJA B. VADER
The Daily Sentinel
Methamphetamine use and abuse often begins with teen and preteen alcohol use, said a group of people gathered Tuesday morning to combat underage drinking.
The way some people figure it, if kids don’t drink, society will have fewer problems when the kids grow up, said Margaret Pearson, coordinator for Build A Generation, a program of Partners.
Representatives of the school district, law enforcement, local governments and area youth programs met Tuesday as part of their quarterly gathering to devise solutions to alcohol use by kids.
One idea to keep youth from drinking is to punish kids caught with booze by delaying their driving privileges.
Another idea is to increase the amount of time the offenders spend in community service.
Another idea involves calling parents when infractions occur and making them bail out their kids, whether it happens at 6 p.m. or 2 a.m., then forcing the parents to go to court with their children.
The collaborative group will apply for grants for education and enforcement.
Last year at Country Jam, law enforcement issued 157 tickets for minors in possession, Mesa County Sheriff’s Department Spokeswoman Susan McBurney said. This year, only 81 tickets were written.
“We’re hoping the kids are getting the message,” McBurney said.
Wrong messages related to alcohol are everywhere, county resident Ruth Michels said.
Convenience stores have become “mini liquor markets,” she said. Festivals now feature beer gardens, and gifts at high school proms are beer steins, she said.
“What is the environment we are raising our children in?” she asked. “This is our responsibility.”
Michels said students have told her it’s easy to get booze, and students drink it out of coke cans and vodka out of water bottles.
J.C. Penney sells shirts that advertise alcohol, Michels said. She encouraged everyone at the meeting to call J.C. Penney and ask the store to remove the shirts from their shelves.
The district’s dress code policy does not specifically address clothing that advertises drugs, alcohol or tobacco, but building principals have discretion, and the schools’ student handbooks specifically prohibit such clothing, said district spokesman Jeff Kirtland.
“In practice, which does not always reflect board policy, our principals try to discourage students from wearing those types of T-shirts,” Kirtland said. “It’s a matter of what they deem is appropriate.”
The district also has an honor code students agree to if they’re involved in all extracurricular activities, School District 51 Board Member Jim Gebhard said.
Grand Junction Police Department Capt. Harry Long said parents can be hypocritical when they drink, and that makes the situation difficult. People who provide alcohol to minors probably are unaware of the laws, he said.
Society needs to place an emphasis on keeping minors from drinking, he said.
“Don’t blame law enforcement,” Long said.
Fruita Police Chief Mark Angelo agreed the laws need revamping.
“If we make an arrest for DUI, we jerk your license,” Angelo said. “I think the same message needs to be sent for minors in possession.”
Marija B. Vader can be reached at
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