Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Friday, March 21, 2008
Forum urges opening up discussion on underage drinking
Binge drinking and underage drinking can be a problem in any community or neighborhood, Toren Volkmann said.
“It doesn’t matter what (type of) family we come from,” Volkmann said. “We’re all eligible for this problem.”
But to address that problem, communities have to be willing to openly discuss it, he told about 150 people at a town hall forum Thursday at Central High School’s auditorium.
“Unfortunately, we don’t really know how to talk about alcoholism without shame,” said Volkmann.
Volkmann, now 28, and his mother, Chris, wrote the book “From Binge to Blackout: A Mother and Son Struggle with Teen Drinking.”
Problems can start at an early age — Volkmann began binge drinking at 15 — and it’s not just a matter of peer pressure, he said.
In some cases, it’s genetics. He urged parents and students to ask “What’s going on in our family?” when looking for solutions.
While in treatment, he came to realize how ingrained alcohol was in his life and in the culture, he said.
“It’s a huge money maker,” Volkmann said. “It’s institutionalized in every part of our society.”
A panel that included La Crosse police Officer Drew Gavrilos, alcohol and drug abuse specialist Jerry Sample from Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, as well as students from Central, Logan and Onalaska high schools, also were at the forum to answer questions and look for solutions to underage drinking.
When the panel discussed whether local schools should have harsher penalties for underage drinking, Paul Bruha said it needs to go beyond that.
“You have to have these things (discussions), because it convinces one or two people,” said Bruha, whose 16-year-old daughter Kasey, a Central sophomore, also attended. “The punishment thing doesn’t work.”
Kasey, however, didn’t agree with her father.
“They need to make stricter punishment,” she said. “It’s not more education that’s needed. We had DARE all through elementary school.”
Danielle Bohm, 17, an Onalaska High School senior, said she knows of a lot of drinking among students.
“Some teachers notice it right away, and some don’t have a clue,” Bohm said.
Nick Leske, 18, a Central senior, agreed with Bohm.
“I think they (teachers) do see it,” Leske said. “There’s just so much of it they can’t address it.”
Ryan Stotts can be reached at (608) 791-8446 or ryan.stotts@lee.net.
All stories copyright 2000 - 2006 La Crosse Tribune and other attributed sources.