Life and death choices

Substance abuse events were held this month at Big Bend Community College and Moses Lake High School.

They serve as reminders to students to avoid drinking and using other intoxicants while driving.

Moses Lake High School Principal Josh Meek explains the school has done a variety of things to encourage a culture of good decision making for the past four years.

They include holding a mock car crash showing what happens when driving under the influence and inviting a guest presenter to speak to students. The speaker lost a sibling to an alcohol related accident.  

We applaud Moses Lake High School for continuing to offer those anti-drinking reminders to students at much-needed times like before graduation.

For those of you who didn't see the Columbia Basin Herald's articles on the events, we think the message is important enough to repeat as an editorial. Our message is this: don't drink and use drugs while driving and don't ride with anyone who does.

With high school graduations approaching, schools and parent groups have stepped in provide alcohol-free events for students in the forms of a trip apart from graduation day or a party after graduation.

Warden High School offers a senior trip to LakeBowl in Moses Lake, according to school principal Chris Rust. Families in Warden typically host large receptions and parties commencement night.  

At Ephrata High School, an all night graduation party is held and prizes are available for students, according to Rhonda Hagy, school counselor. A breakfast is hosted by the Ephrata Lions Club to cap off the event.

At home, graduation parties don't have to include alcohol. Even if alcohol is intended for adults, it is best to have an alcohol-free celebration because alcohol can still fall into the hands of young people.

For some, it is easy to disregard underage anti-drinking messages. Some consider having beer as a high school student as a rite of passage. Some adults may think it's safer to allow their teens to drink at home under parental supervision, not thinking a party could get out of a control or a teen could die from alcohol poisoning.

According to the state's Health Youth Survey from 2010, 40 percent of Grant County twelfth-graders admitted they had a drink in the past month. For tenth-graders, 33 percent reported doing so, 19 percent of eighth-graders drank in the past month and 6 percent of sixth graders surveyed stated they drank in the past month.

For eighth, tenth and twelfth graders, 25 percent at each level indicated they rode with a driver who had been drinking.  

Of the surveyed students who drank and drove, 14 percent of high school seniors, 10 percent of tenth graders and 6 percent of eighth graders admitted doing so.

The students said they got alcohol at the following places: at a party, 36 percent, from friends, 36 percent, gave money to someone, 19 percent, home without permission, 14 percent, home with permission, 13 percent, family party, 12 percent, from a store, 7 percent, older sibling, 6 percent and some other place, 14 percent.

Because of the many parties taking place after graduations, a reminder to not drink and drive and not condone underage drinking could save someone's life.

For the majority of parents and students who already take this message seriously, we thank you for providing a good example.

For students with younger brothers and sisters, please continue to serve as positive role models for your siblings.

Your decisions can affect an entire family, or many families.

It is your example that speaks volumes about the seriousness of this issue and likely prevents a tragedy.

- Editorial board