An ‘Unhappy Hour’ on teen drinking in Dublin
DUBLIN — About 100 local residents turned out Wednesday evening for a forum to deal with the problem of teen substance abuse.
The “Unhappy Hour” session, held at Dublin school district offices, was aimed at informing parents about the telltale signs and dangers of teen drug and alcohol use.
“I think we live in a community where people think, ‘Not in my Dublin,’” said Theresa Young, event organizer and assistant principal of Dublin High School. “But teenagers are teenagers no matter where you are, and they’re going to make poor choices.”
Looming over the seminar’s attendees were statistics reminding them of the consequences of some of those poor choices. Projected on a large screen behind the panel of speakers was a set of “Did you know?” statistics, such as the implication of alcohol in the top three causes of teen deaths (accidents, homicide, and suicide), and that 50 percent of eighth graders have consumed alcohol.
Young said the meeting was organized in response to a Dublin Halloween party crashed by a group of drunken teenagers in October, and news stories of a 15-year-old Gilroy girl who died from apparent alcohol poisoning last month.
The seminar, a joint effort by the district and the city of Dublin, featured speakers from local health organizations who shared their experiences and suggested different strategies to help parents deal with possible drug and alcohol problems with their teens.
