Many people are trying to do their part when it comes to preventing underage drinking. It is a growing problem that is affecting our youth all over the country. In fact, alcohol is the most commonly abused drug by teenagers in the United States. While many teenagers do not feel that drinking is very dangerous, they may be surprised to know that 4,300 of their peers die every year from alcohol-related causes. To combat these alarming statistics, some high schools are enforcing strict abstinence policies.

One school in Illinois, Glenbard High School, pledged to suspend anyone caught attending a party where alcohol is being served. So far the school has suspended thirty student athletes after they attended a party where alcohol was present. The rule is so strict that even if the teens didn’t consume alcohol themselves, they were still suspended because they were at a party with alcohol. Some parents and many of the students are upset with this new policy.

On Monday, the school board heard from many parents and students that wanted the rule changed. One student suggested that those who did not drink should be allowed at the party because they could help influence students that were drinking to put down their beverages and stop consuming alcohol. The board acknowledged that students who do not drink can be a good influence on their peers, however a party where alcohol is being served is not the place to try to enforce that good influence.

Despite the arguments from students and parents opposed to the new drinking policy, the school remained firm in its decision to punish anyone caught at a party that included alcohol. Alcohol and temptation surrounds every high school student, and sometimes facing a significant punishment is the only thing that prevents them from succumbing to the pressure.