Forum focuses on temptations in Napa

Saturday, April 12, 2008
By NATALIE HOFFMAN
Register Staff Writer

Meshach Osborne talks about his experience with underage drinking with Petey Burns, right, at a town hall meeting on Thursday evening. The meeting was hosted by Leadership Academy and VOICES at McPherson Elementary School. Lianne Milton/Register

Local high school students turned the tables on teachers, parents and community leaders this week by taking a bold stand against underage drinking during a youth-led town hall meeting.

The event drew more than 150 people to the multi-purpose room at McPherson Elementary School on Thursday evening — where members of Leadership Academy Youth Leaders in Action took the audience on a whirlwind tour of the consequences, causes of and misconceptions about teen drinking.

Napa County’s rates of underage drinking are higher than the state average. The 2007 Napa County Community Health Needs Assessment stated that while nearly 46 percent of California youths age 13 to 20 said they drank alcohol in the past month, in Napa County the figure was slightly higher than 59 percent.

Community concern about the issue was clear at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, when students, teachers, law enforcement officers, parents, educators and community leaders packed McPherson’s multi-purpose room.
Attendees worked in focus groups — taking quizzes administered in Spanish and then in English — before sharing personal experiences about underage drinking and proposing possible solutions.

Brodie Azevedo, director of LAYLA, said the first step to success is getting adults and teens to talk openly about the issue — especially here in Napa.
“We live in the Napa Valley and we’re all about wine,” he said.

Alex Avila, a 16-year-old leadership academy member and Vintage High School student, said more activities for teens could be an effective deterrent to underage drinking.

“Instead of telling kids about all the things ‘not to do,’ we should provide (reasonably priced) activities that are healthy and fun to do,” she said.

Curiosity and peer pressure are among the leading reasons why teens experiment with alcohol, Avila said, adding that some parents even supply alcohol to their children in hopes that they will be safer drinking at home.

Maria Puentes, a 16-year-old Napa High student and leadership academy member, said it is not unheard of for sixth graders to begin experimenting with alcohol.

Puentes said alcopops — sweet alcoholic drinks that are packaged similarly to soft drinks — appeal to young consumers and are more prevalent than many parents think. In rural areas where there are fewer activities for teens, Puentes added, teens are often more likely to get into trouble with alcohol.

Jaime Gallegos, clubhouse director of Napa’s Boys & Girls Club — which serves about 30 teens each day — said he often hears requests from youths for more local, youth-led extracurricular activities.

Napa parents and teens came away from the meeting armed with practical tools in the battle against teen drinking.

Sean Magill — a parent and St. Helena police officer — said family communication surrounding teen drinking is a big issue. “Parents aren’t talking to their kids,” he said, adding that he has frequent conversations about drug and alcohol prevention with his daughter, Codee Magill, a 16-year-old Vintage High School student who attended the meeting with her father.

Dylan McGarr, a 13-year-old Silverado Middle School student, said he was shocked to learn that only 25 percent of parents talk to their kids about teen drinking.

“(Underage drinking) has an impact on their immediate lives and futures. ... Everybody knows someone who’s drinking. I don’t think it is unusual anywhere,” said Barbara Franco, principal of Napa High School.

Leslie Medine, executive director of On the Move — the nonprofit organization that oversees the leadership academy — said next week leadership academy members will compile solutions proposed by community members who attended Tuesday’s meeting.

“It’s going to take adults and youth together to solve this issue,” said Medine.