Seventeen year old Matthew James had recently signed to play football at Notre Dame next year. He and 40 of his teammates/classmates went to Florida for Spring Break. By 6 p.m. he was "drunk and belligerent." By 6:45 he was dead. He fell from a 5th floor balcony while fooling around with his friends.
He wasn't drinking and driving. He was being a teenager and he complicated it by being drunk. His family is in mourning, his school is in mourning, and the rest of the country is saddened by this tragedy.
The Chicago Tribune is talking about this.
There are many more risks when teenagers drink than we can imagine. It's not enough to warn kids not to drink and drive, or make sure that you take the keys at a party. Twelve teens per day die of alcohol related causes. Girls and boys are sexually vulnerable when they've been drinking.
Many think that teen drinking is a rite of passage, and we can't do anything to stop it.
I'm curious what you think. Was this preventable? Take a minute to share your thoughts by clicking on the link of this post. Let's get a conversation going.
I'm deeply sorry to the family who had lost this young man so soon. I've long since realize that teenage drinking is inevitable and I know that there is a lot us as parents can do to help minimize the possibility of our children trying alcohol. As a mother of three boys, one heading to middle school soon - we as a family have decided to open the conversation in regards to alcohol. At this young age I've asked my 10 year old what alcohol was? and I was surprise to hear that he knows more than what I would have imagine. It is important for us to let them know what the effects are if they do decide to try alcohol, ask them what would they do if the "cool crowd" asked him to drink or try?
Not only opening conversation is helpful, it fosters trust and a sign of strong relationship between parent and child.
Posted by: Mom- 3 | April 12, 2010 at 05:51 AM