A recent town hall meeting regarding underage drinking drew a small crowd of concerned parents, law enforcement officers and educators - but it should have drawn more.
       Statesboro Police Chief Stan York was not shy at all about telling how he feels. The key to stopping - or at least slowing down - underage drinking is called good parenting.
       You know - being that "uncool" Mama or Daddy who makes your teen check in periodically. The kind of parent who checks breath when your kid comes home after the party, who makes sure that party was chaperoned.
       Don't think it can't happen to your child. I remember how it was 20-odd years ago in high school and I am sure parents today recall how easy it was during their high school days to get booze.
       Somebody's "cool" older brother would score a bottle, or some random dude at the liquor store would pocket the cash you offered and walk out with a brown paper bag. Kids will find ways, but good parents will find ways to make sure they do everything they can to prevent their child from ending up in rehab or worse - in the morgue.
       York demonstrated an easy way parents can detect alcohol on their kids; breath. He hugged the teenage panelist, patting her face, and was close enough that if she had been drinking, he could have caught a whiff. There's nothing wrong with asking questions and even being a little sneaky when checking up on your teens - it beats their becoming alcoholics or getting behind a steering wheel drunk as a skunk.
       Another young man spoke during the town hall meeting, and he reminded me eerily of a friend of mine. My friend is no longer with us, having died an alcoholic and addict at age 47 last year. This young man, in his 20's, spoke candidly about his addiction.
       He was 7 years old when he first tasted alcohol - and liked it. He grew up with caring parents - an elementary school principal and a teacher - parents who cared, but were blind to the fact that their straight-A son was an alcoholic.
       He was smart enough to hide it well. But one day the hell he lived in caught up with him, and he ended up in rehabilitation here in Statesboro at Willingway.
       It didn't work the first time. He went home frightened to death, hiding his alcoholism even better, but not able to hide it from himself. He talked about holding a pillow over his head to drown out his mother's sobbing prayers that he be healed of the disease.
       A second time in rehab has worked so far. The young man works with others facing addiction issues and is taking things one day at a time.
       But what of the others who do not make it? Who may not have families who support them? What if it is your kid?
       I've heard the stories about teenagers coming home to find their parents passed out from too much wine. We all know how kids will rob the liquor cabinets and fill the bottles back up with water so parents don't readily realize they've been nipping at the gin. Some stories even have parents giving their teenagers permission to "drink at the house" so " at least I'll know where they are."
       Is this sensible? No. Does it happen? More than we want to believe.
       In countries where there is no drinking age, the alcohol problems are not as prevalent as they are in the United States. Is it because we tend to glamorize drinking? We instill a "legal drinking age" and celebrate when someone turns 21.
       We have commercials making drinking liquor seem sophisticated. Our beer commercials link downing suds with good times and coolness. So do the wine commercials. Are we targeting adults or kids here?
       It is all too easy for an 18-year-old to get an alcoholic drink in Statesboro's "bars." Oh, they're called pubs or taverns, but in reality, many are just bars where food is served. An 18-year-old gets in, and it's no problem to get a tipsy 21-year-old to buy them a drink.
       Will this problem ever get solved? No. The lure is there, the glamour is there, and the alcohol is there. But, if parents take a more active role in being parents instead of trying to be cool,, underage drinking will be reduced.
       A mother speaking at the meeting talked about how she makes sure she knows where her teenage children are at all times. Her close watch may not please her teens, but it proves she loves them and helps keep them out of tempting situations.
       She also spoke about talking to her children - keeping abreast of their concerns and issues, and taking an active interest in their lives. It's something any parent can do, and Chief York is absolutely right. The key to doing something about the growing underage drinking problem in Bulloch County and anywhere is simple. Parental involvement will do wonders.
       And that town hall meeting should have had as many in attendance as a Friday night football game - but it did not.