Underage drinking is a problem across our nation, underage drinking is a problem across our state, and underage drinking is problem across our county. In the broad spectrum, our state Nebraska showed from 2006-2007, 32.4 % of those between the ages of 12 and 20 had consumed alcohol in the past month. For that same group, 21.7% had admitted to binge drinking. Yes, underage drinking is a problem, and it needs to be taken care of.
Buffalo county is notorious for housing a large drinking population. UNK has been blessed with the saying “Can’t spell drunk without UNK.” One would expect this, a city with a university at its heart. College and drinking seem to go hand and hand, and responsibly this isn’t a problem. Youth consuming alcohol isn’t responsible, and the problem still stands.
Buffalo County’s response? Tough love. If one has the misfortune of being caught in the act of consuming an alcoholic beverage while being underage, kiss a weekend goodbye. Buffalo County says to lock’em up, the slammer will teach them to think twice before downing a beer. Here in our county, being caught means an almost automatic weekend jail sentence.
What does this say to our youth though? Drinking is irresponsible, and only for the mature, learns from this, and grows to be an up-and-coming fair citizen to be proud of? No, this teaches youth, don’t get caught. Youth only think a weekend in jail would be terrible, so instead outsmart the cops, and drink responsibly, hidden in basements or friends’ apartments. Is this what we want to convey to our youth?
Why not use these mistakes as a learning experience, or a chance to give back. Incorporate more community service, steep punishments of, but a way they “work” off the crime. Or add diversion programs to the punishment. Some of these juveniles don’t understand why they shouldn’t drink at a younger age or don’t know the effects they are trigger off for the rest of their life. The easy “lock’em up and throw away the key” sentence only tells them to be smarter when they drink, not to stop the drinking.
Buffalo County, listen up. Our style of rule over these youth is not something we want to teach them. Rehabilitation will mould them into those upstanding citizens we dream they can become, not incarceration. Responsibility is what we want and need, and through teaching, not jailing, we will achieve this.
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