High stakes

The issue of bullying remains front and centre as Canadians wrestle with yet another tragic circumstance of a young woman taking her own life after months of torment—both online and otherwise—by her peers.
Lost in all the hand-wringing and calls for tougher laws, however, is the equally disturbing matter of excessive alcohol consumption amongst teens and a cavalier attitude towards sex.
Under-age drinking is nothing new, of course, and neither is teen sexual activity. But there’s a growing sense that young people today either don’t grasp the consequences of their actions—or just don’t care. And that’s very scary.
Why is that, and what can be done to reverse this trend, are hard questions society must grapple with. What is clear is that we cannot bury our collective heads in the sand and hope the problem simply goes away.
There’s been a start through programs like P.A.R.T.Y. and the now-defunct D.A.R.E. in the schools. A “Young Women’s Conference,” organized by the local public school board for ages 12-18, continues to be held here. And kudos to Emo resident Renée Martin-Brown, who is looking to organize a girls’ retreat, for those aged 10-14, in Nestor Falls in September to help nurture and develop self-esteem.
One may question the success these have had in truly resonating with students, but we must never stop trying to find a way to get through.
The stakes are just too high.