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| 16 June 2000 - The Clarion - Granite Hills High School Sober grad news conference explains new security policies By Andreana Ricciardi On the morning of May 18, news media and student journalists came together from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to attend a news conference. The conference called attention to the need of preventing drinking and drug use, especially around the time of prom and graduation. The conference was held at the El Cajon Community Center and included a panel of five speakers. Prom and graduation are coming up. "Time to party!" is what most seniors are thinking right now. And according to Representative Kristopher Beck from the Mission Bay Hilton, the way society has it today, no party is complete without a, little bit of alcohol and maybe some club drugs. Renting a hotel room used to be the easiest way for getting away with throwing those after prom parties. Teens could drink, do drugs and crash the room without having to answer to authority. Not any more. Beck spoke of their policy stating that if they have any suspicion of illegal actions taking place, they are required to send in security to check it out. "Security will shut down the party and you'll be kicked out. There will be no refund for the room," Beck said. Beck spoke of how the Alcohol Beverage Control puts the responsibility on them and they must be strict to protect themselves from lawsuits. "In turn, it protects you," said Beck. Limos are always a popular way of transportation this time of year. And to some teens in the past, it was an easy way to get drunk and still have a designated driver. Not any more. According to specially trained and certified limo driver, Javonda Franklin, drinking and smoking are prohibited in all limos. "If we find any signs of alcohol even after the party has left, we'll notify parents," said Franklin. Officer Frank Lamb, from the California Highway Patrol, raised strong concerns regarding the amount of drunk driving and collisions that constantly occur as a result. "The key word is collision. It's not an accident," said Lamb. Lamb spoke about how many teenagers, today, don't really know and understand that there are zero tolerance laws. That means that if you are caught with .01% of alcohol in your system and you are driving, your license will be taken away. It's not just a warning. As Lamb held a "pass," a device to measure alcohol on the breath, the stern, concerned look on his face added emphasis to how "collisions" can be a real "roller coaster of emotion" on everyone's part. Mike Newell, a representative from Communities Against Substance Abuse, spoke on substance abuse and the growing rate of teens using "club drugs." "There's no such thing as a safe drug," said Newell. Newell said many teens today seem to be under the impression that the drugs they take are completely safe. Newell gave some facts of what some common club drugs consist of. The last speaker at the conference was Darin Dale. Dale shared his own personal experience of how drunk driving can change a person's life. Four years ago, Dale and his friend Brent went out drinking. Dale was the driver and when they collided with a telephone pole, it was Brent who paid the biggest consequence. Dale is still dealing with Brent's death. "I was hand cuffed in the lobby of Kaiser Hospital and taken to jail for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated," said Dale. Besides the pain of losing his best friend, Dale caused pain to his family as well as Brent's. Plus his career plans were altered and with all the expenses involved, Dale says he's probably put forth $400,000-500,000. Article Snapshot (22K) |
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