LEONARDTOWN, Md. – The St. Mary’s County Public School system is recommending that parents and their teen children join Sprint, W*USA 9, and Connect with Kids/CWK Network for the broadcast of “ON THE ROCKS: The Epidemic of Teen Drinking,” Saturday, January 27, 2007, 12:00 p.m., on W*USA Channel 9. The show aims to deal with the teen alcohol abuse problem that is causing harm to so many families across the United States.
Seventy-five percent of all 12th graders have tried alcohol. Thirty percent say they’ve been drunk in the past month. Because of alcohol, nearly 150,000 teenagers end up in the emergency room each year. Experts say we have an epidemic of teen drinking in America, one that far-and-away overshadows the problems of all illegal drugs combined. Some kids are harming their brains, which may result in permanent brain damage. Others are falling victim to the accidents, murders, rapes, and suicides that are so often associated with alcohol. The danger is clear, and yet some argue that parents are not yet taking the most obvious, necessary steps to halt teen drinking. These true stories are profiled in this broadcast special.
Shelby and Andrea convinced their dads to help them throw an 18th birthday party for their friend Laura. At the party, many kids got drunk, two got in a fight, a van got torched, and a girl nearly died. Two times in the past year K.T. has drunk so much she ended up in an alcohol-induced coma. Renee, Shaleta, Terrell, Dominick, Nicandro, and Jasmine were involved in either: accidents, a suicide, or crimes; they made life-changing errors in judgment while they were drunk. Connect with Kids programs feature real kids, true stories, experts and educators—a way to help parents and kids start a conversation about the tough topics kids face every day.
Date and time of the broadcast is subject to change. Please check local listings and visit www.connectwithkids.com/wusa and click on "TV Programs" for future televised specials. For more information, visit www.connectwithkids.com, or call 1-888-598-KIDS (5437).