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Coalition to shift its tactics in battle against teen drinking

By Michele Tjin

Knowledge sure is power.

As volunteers, teachers, parents and students continue to tackle the issue of teen alcohol use, community groups have a new weapon: They now know far fewer teens drink than they previously thought.

At the annual meeting of the Shift Coalition, which is made up of 50 government, school and community groups, leaders released survey results that showed a wide gap between reality and perceptions of teen drinking in Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga.

For example, 38 percent of students surveyed said they drank at least once in the past 30 days, but 92 percent of those surveyed thought their peers drank more than that.

"The point is that they think the other kids drink," said L.D. Hirschklau, project director. "They think, 'I'm a nerd. What's wrong with me? Maybe I should drink to fit in.' "

Teachers and parents who were surveyed similarly overestimated the number of students who drink. Hirschklau said that getting a more accurate picture of how often teens use alcohol will help the community better know how to act.

"The number is high, but not nearly as high as we thought," she said. "I think people are excited. There's a whole different way of making change. When you have the information and you act on it, you act more intelligently. We didn't know, and now we do. The facts are there."

To change the myths, graphic design students from Los Gatos High School have designed posters to get students to think of alternatives to alcohol. Posters have been distributed to classrooms at both district high schools, and students who have been working with the coalition hope the posters will get the message across. Teachers are encouraged to place them strategically in the classroom, such as next to a clock.

"People know that drinking is bad, but now we put that knowledge into action," said Paul Stavropoulos, a Saratoga High School sophomore.

Students have also designed postcards targeted to parents, urging them to discuss alcohol use with their children. The postcards will be going out after spring break to Los Gatos and Saratoga families with middle school and high school students.

The audience at the Shift meeting brainstormed how the coalition could limit teens' access to alcohol. They suggested the group play a role in disseminating information in school newsletters and at such events as Jazz in the Plazz in Los Gatos. They also proposed working with supportive business partners, perhaps locksmiths who can provide kits for retrofitting cabinets to lock up alcohol in the house. Hirschklau said the next step for the Shift steering committee will be reviewing the lists and prioritizing what can be done.

Shari Flick, a Los Gatos mother with two school-age children, was a first-timer at a Shift meeting, and she liked what she heard.

"It's a relief that the number of teens drinking is not as high as we thought, but we still need to change our perceptions and our habits," she said.

Pam Fitzhenry of Los Gatos parent said her children are long past their teenage years, but she's not letting that prevent her from getting busy.

"There is a high percentage of parents who don't understand the legal ramification of serving alcohol or having it served to groups of teens in their home," she said. "Shift will educate them."

Hirschklau said that after the meeting, she already got requests for her group to present its findings to the Los Gatos Morning Rotary Club, the Los Gatos Lions Club, the Saratoga City Council and Saratoga's youth commission. She is also applying for a "drug-free community" federal grant so the work can continue. Change won't be instantaneous. After all, it took decades for Americans to change their attitudes about smoking, she said.

"We'll have five more years of funding. Change doesn't happen in three years," Hirschklau said.