A homecoming event in Scarsdale, N.Y., left several teens hospitalized from binge drinking and a community in shock and shame, the New York Times reported Oct. 8.Scarsdale is a village in Westchester County. Like other affluent suburbs, teen drinking has long been common. But at September's homecoming, teen drinking resulted in 27 students suspended from school for drunkenness and five hospitalized with acute alcohol poisoning.
"There are an awful lot of parents who all of a sudden have to be looking inside themselves," said David Kroenlein, mayor of Scarsdale.
Michael V. McGill, Scarsdale's school superintendent, said education about teen drinking has barely put a dent in the problem. A community task force on alcohol and other drug abuse, which has been in existence for nearly 20 years, also has had little impact. Even a center for teens to gather generally stands idle.
"We've invested more time and energy in drug and alcohol awareness than anyone I know," said Dr. McGill. "But it never seems to make a dramatic change. It will take something other than, or in addition to, what we've been doing. This issue most fundamentally has to be addressed in individual homes, by individual kids and individual families. We have a part to play. But we're really talking about a change of heart no institution can address. And it's not clear that the community as a whole is in agreement about where to draw the line."
Recently, 300 parents attended the first community-wide meeting since the homecoming incident. Parents called on school officials for guidance on how to enforce drinking rules when other parents will not.
Geraldine Greene, executive director of the Scarsdale Family Counseling Service, told parents that underage drinking is "an adult failure."
"What do affluent families not have a lot of?" she asked audience members, many who earn more than $200,000 a year. "Time. And it takes a lot of time to raise a teenager."
Greene told the parents that creating behavioral expectations must become the focus for parents, schools, and the police. "This community has high academic expectations for its children," she said. "Why can't it have behavioral expectations as well?"
Since the homecoming incident, the high school has placed an indefinite moratorium on "high-risk" events like dances. In addition, small student forums, a regular part of the school curriculum, will focus this year on alcohol and other drug use.
Furthermore, the Scarsdale police have sent letters to homes that their investigation determined are places where much of the drinking during homecoming took place. The letters warn of criminal and civil penalties if corrective measures are not taken.
The police also have established a phone line for anonymous tips about rowdy parties. The police warned students they will get no second chances if caught drinking. "There will be arrests," said Detective Richard Fatigate, Scarsdale's youth officer. "There will be charges brought. This is a new game."
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