It’s graduation time again. Many people give the Dr. Seuss book Oh, the Places You’ll Go! as a gift to graduates of all ages. In this time of joy, celebration, and parties, it’s important to remember certain things that allow the graduates to actually go places and not stop them in their tracks.
What does this mean? Graduates should celebrate safely and responsibly with the help of their friends and family members.
For many people, their celebrations and parties involve alcohol and even other substances. Most people know that most drugs are illegal for all age groups. What they know about alcohol is more fuzzy.
Some parents of high school graduates think that they can offer alcohol to the minors at their graduation parties as long as they provide adult supervision. They couldn’t be more wrong. Texas has a no-tolerance policy. That means that people face stiff penalties if they
- have any alcohol in their bodies
- are operating a motor vehicle or watercraft
- are under the age of twenty-one
Parents may think it’s okay to furnish their own kids with drinks, but as you can see, these kids might try to drink (or use a boat) and drive. Since graduation parties feature a number kids who could potentially drink, the adults could be exposing these kids to legal penalties, not to mention the threat of personal injury to themselves and others.
Adults who furnish alcohol to minors also face steep penalties. In Texas, this could mean thousands of dollars in fines or even imprisonment.
We’ve mainly talked about the legal implications of underage drinking or providing alcohol to minors. There are far worse prices to pay for these actions, of course. These prices are in terms of human lives.
Unfortunately, we’ve all known people who have been hurt in drunk driving accidents, as drivers, passengers, or victims. Even worse, many people know people who have been killed in such senseless accidents. Drunk driving is entirely preventable.
But some people think parties aren’t parties without alcohol. If people think like that while they’re younger, it could be harder for them to break the habit when they’re older. For Texas teens who struggle which alcohol abuse (or addictions to other substances), there is help.
There are programs and rehab centers for teens that help address the specific needs of that age group. This help could help teens journey to the places they want to go, not end their journeys before they even begin.
