Ten Gilroy teens stood up for what they think is right and urged
fellow students to celebrate a safe and sober graduation.
Ten Gilroy teens stood up for what they think is right and urged fellow students to celebrate a safe and sober graduation.
As part of the “Those Who Host Lose The Most” campaign, Gilroy High School teenagers launched a public awareness crusade against alcohol-infused graduation parties. The campaign will raise awareness about Gilroy’s Social Host Ordinance, a law the city passed last year imposing fines of up to $1,000 on adults who serve alcohol to minors at house parties and aims to drastically reduce the number of graduation parties where alcohol is served to underage drinkers.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death among people between 15 and 20 years old. Of the 7,643 15- to 20-year-old drivers and motorcycle operators who were involved in fatal traffic crashes across the nation in 2006, 1,377 or 18 percent had illegal blood alcohol concentrations.
“Those people that host parties and give alcohol drinks to minors should be punished,” said Denise Belmont, a GHS student. “They’re not only making themselves look bad but also the community of Gilroy.”
The community wants safe and healthy graduation celebrations, students said, kicking off their campaign with a press conference announcing how they plan to educate the community in the coming months.
“We think it’s important that our elected officials come out publicly and support this campaign,” said Ana Torres.
The students will present their campaign to various groups and distribute information to parents and students, reminding them that police will actively cite adults who don’t comply with the law, said Francisco Dominguez, Gilroy Unified School District trustee and consultant to Communities United in Prevention, the parent organization to which the youth advocates belong and a key player in the passage of the ordinance.
Because the ordinance went into effect last year just prior to graduation in June, the coalition didn’t have time to run as comprehensive a campaign as the one planned for this year, Dominguez said. Similar ordinances have been implemented in Morgan Hill and Santa Clara County, he said.
“This year, we have a whole effort to inform the community that they can be fined,” he said.
Though he couldn’t remember any significant, alcohol-fueled incidents over graduation weekends in recent history, Dominguez said the coalition aims to change what he believes is a community norm.
“One of the factors that’s a risk is that parents throw a party and provide alcohol thinking it’s a safe place for their kids to drink,” he said. “There is no safe place.”
GHS Principal James Maxwell agreed.
“I think there’s a feeling of ‘well, at least they’re drinking under our supervision,'” he said. “I completely disagree with that philosophy.”
Student advocates asked parents to sign a pledge promising to host only alcohol-free parties. By doing so, they become eligible to win a $100 gift certificate toward party supplies for their graduation party.
“I want to serve as an example to my children that you can have fun and you can celebrate without alcohol,” said Lillian Castillo, a GHS parent.
