Poll: Is Sonoma facing a crisis in teen drinking?

Commenters say prescription meds and other drugs are the real problem|

Index-Tribune writer David Templeton’s recent story on teen alcohol abuse made note that local law enforcement is seeing a rise in dangerous binge drinking among Valley youth. So in our most recent poll at sonomanews.com, we asked readers if Sonoma is facing a crisis in teen drinking.

While 72 percent of respondents said it’s definitely a problem, they don’t think it’s any worse than it’s always been. On the other hand, 21 percent say the problem is growing. A mere 7 percent of readers think teen drinking is decreasing, which is certainly looking at things with rose colored glasses – or, perhaps, as the other 93 percent of respondents might say, beer goggles.

Here are few of the more impassioned responses.

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They are also mixing Xanax with alcohol which can be lethal. The alcohol is being ripped off at CVS and Rite Aid and no one is doing anything about it. It is up to parents to be parents and know what their kid is doing and where they are at all times! That is the biggest problem – parents are not willing to keep on top of what their kids are doing.

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In my experience growing up here, drinking has always been an element, but it is the mixing with other LEGAL drugs that is the larger problem today. In the ’80s, dozens of teenagers regularly dropped acid in the Plaza at night and had a relatively safe time. Or so I heard. And don’t get me started on the meth epidemic that existed here for decades. Today, opioids are disruptors in the self-medication game. We need to talk about prescription heroin: OPIOIDS. We need to talk about the risks, those who have died, those who have had to live with grief and senseless loss. We need to discuss the legal prescriptions sitting in our cabinets. This is a crisis that affects all of us: rich, poor, old, young. This is a Big Pharma issue. A community issue. We need to leave shame behind and begin conversation. We need to admit there are dealers right here in Sonoma. People we know. We excuse it because they are not what you’d expect a dealer to look like. Could be your doctor, your neighbor, or your own teenager. It could be you. Alcohol is a problem; opioids are a crisis. Report on that.

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I am 50 years old and it was a problem when I was hanging out in the square years ago and has been steady and growing ever since. The biggest difference now is that RX drugs are more readily available.

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Actually, I don’t have a clue. I don’t know many teens. The ones I know don’t drink. But I read the article in the paper, and every now and then you see a story in the “police blotter” section about teens drinking. I didn’t drink until I was 19. And I don’t drink at all now.

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