Underage drinking remains a serious problem

By Dan Jennings

Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009 | 11:50 a.m.

Underage drinking is a serious problem — and getting worse

When police are called to a party or other event where minors are in possession of or have consumed alcoholic beverages, enforcement action is sometimes met with scorn or ridicule – not by the underage drinkers, but by a small minority of parents or guardians.

A review of some cold, sobering (pun intended) facts should underscore the consequences of underage drinking.

More than 5 million young people under the age of 21 drink alcohol to excess. "Excess" meaning five or more drinks in a row more than once a week.

The most frequently abused drug by high school seniors is alcohol. The average age in America for a girl's first drink is 13. You might be surprised to learn that the average age of an American boy to take his first drink is 11. I will provide my own opinion on underage drinking: If you store alcohol in your house, even if you have a locked liquor cabinet, your children are already drinking.

Alcohol is a contributing factor in suicides and homicides in young people. More than half of all sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and college students can be attributed to alcohol abuse.

Almost half of all vehicle crashes, the leading cause of death among teenagers, can be attributed to underage drinking. If 20 soldiers were killed in Iraq each week, there would be massive demonstrations across the country. However, this figure seems to be acceptable when it comes to the carnage brought about by underage drinking and driving on U.S. highways. Where is the outrage? There is none.

Most parents and guardians are supportive of the police whenever enforcement action is taken.

If you suspect your child of drinking alcoholic beverages, call the police or bring your child to the police station. We can administer a portable breath test and help you choose an appropriate disciplinary action. In the case of underage drinking, an ounce of prevention is better than a ton of disaster.

January 15 — Attempted Fraud

An alert citizen notifies the police after receiving a phone call from Canada. The female caller claimed to be a granddaughter and asked for bail money but hung up when the citizen began asking pointed questions. A great job in deterring a scam artist!

January 16 — Drunken Driver

Traffic Officer Gilliam and Officer Richner respond to a three-vehicle collision on Adams Boulevard near B Avenue at 4:07 p.m. Officer Gilliam conducts a field investigation and arrests one of the drivers for DUI–alcohol.

January 17 — Wanted Person

In the parking lot of a local business just after midnight, Officer Salazar notices a woman in the back seat of a parked car furiously pounding on her window. He investigates and determines that the 39-year-old woman could not open the rear door because the child safety locks were activated. In addition to being extremely intoxicated, she has a Boulder City Municipal Court bench warrant. Officer Salazar arrests the woman and takes her to the Henderson City Jail.

January 18 — Minor in Possession of Alcohol

The night manager of a local store calls the police at 9:15 p.m. because two juveniles had placed cases of beer and bottles of liquor inside a shopping cart while in the business. The manager recognizes the two boys as prior "beer skip" suspects. Graves I officers respond and Officer Tomao subsequently cites the two boys for several violations and releases them to their parents.

January 19 — Driving on Revoked License

Officer Ham recognizes a wanted person driving a vehicle on Nevada Way. He stops the vehicle and arrests the driver for the warrants and for driving on a revoked license and operating a vehicle without proof of insurance.

January 20 — Traffic Accident

Sergeant Glenn and officers from the Graves I squad respond to a traffic accident between the south city limits and Lakeshore Drive. A tractor trailer making an illegal U-turn was struck on the rear axle by an SUV. Boulder City officers assisted the Nevada Highway Patrol with traffic control and other tasks.

January 21 — Narcotics Offenses

Officer Case stops a traffic violator on Nevada Way at 7:30 p.m. His field investigation results in the seizure of two bags of user-quantity marijuana and other drug paraphernalia. The driver and his passenger receive citations.

Weekly Statistics

Incident reports — 51

Traffic stops — 197

Citations issued — 60

Adult arrests — 22

Juvenile arrests — 0

Animal Control calls — 105

Boulder City Police Sgt. Dan Jennings can be reached at [email protected].