Santa Cruz Neighbors, a local community group, is expanding its reach beyond the threat of gang violence in the city. It is starting to address teenage alcoholism, and it’s using local teens to get its message across. On Tuesday, about 100 people of all ages filled the community room at the Santa Cruz Police Department to watch “Wasted,” a 15-minute short film about the problem of underage drinking. It was no Reefer Madness. It was a film by teens about teens and how they are becoming increasingly susceptible to alcohol and drug abuse.
The figures are startling. Almost 70 percent of 11th graders, 60 percent of ninth graders, and 30 percent of 7th graders have had alcohol, and Juvenile Courts Commissioner Irwin Joseph said that he has dealt with an alcoholic as young as 13. While the statistics in the film were slightly lower, some of the younger attendees responded that the real figures are higher, and that the people who were interviewed simply lied. Santa Cruz High School freshman Angela Culver said, “Some of my friends, they can just ask some of their parents, friends, and older friends to get it for us.”
Santa Cruz Neighbors, which sponsored the event, is now trying to convince local middle schools and high schools to show the film to their student. The film has an impact, they say, because it’s by local kids about local kids. That makes them the best people to convince their peers about the problem. Read more at KSBW.
