Wellspring Center for Prevention
Promoting Healthy Living Through Education, Training & Advocacy
By: Valerie Acevedo, Wellspring Intern Perhaps the most famous part of the college experience, other than cramming for and taking finals, is Spring Break. During this time, no classes are held on campus for at least one week. This recess allows students to take a break from their studies about half-way through the semester. Pupils take advantage of...
What is it about this time of year that makes otherwise rational parents seem to lose their grip on reality? Think about it. Parents who would never consider putting their 17 year-olds on a plane for Daytona Beach during Spring Break, proudly wish them well when they head for an unsupervised weekend at the Jersey shore. Somehow, the dangerous drinking and casual sex they have seen on television couldn’t possibly be happening at Seaside. “Not my Kid” becomes a parent’s wishful thinking mantra. Studies have revealed that 40 percent of teen traffic fatalities during the prom and graduation weekends were alcohol-related. In fact, underage drinking is a major factor in the two leading causes of teenage deaths: car crashes and fatal injuries. Underage high-risk drinking (and make no mistake, this is the only way they drink) is also linked to two thirds of sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and...
