To the editor:

I found the story about the number of kids who were drunk at the last Free State High School dance to be sad but not surprising. In a recent survey of Lawrence teens – found on the Lawrence Safe Schools/Healthy Schools Web site – 42.9 percent of 12th graders admitted to having engaged in binge drinking (had five or more alcoholic drinks in a row) within the last two weeks. While it may be the school’s responsibility, with the help of local law enforcement, to deal with students who are obviously “under the influence” at the dance, it is also the responsibility of the parents to see that their children do not show up to school functions drunk or high. I realize this is a tall order in a community where underage drinking is commonplace, and I know that it is difficult to control. Still, I think it deserves our best effort. Prevention specialists and counselors at both high schools have a great deal of helpful information and expertise to share with parents. Should we sit back and wait for the inevitable tragedies that come from the mixture of kids, cars and alcohol before taking the initiative?

Kimberly Anderson,

Lawrence