Sample Local Op Ed

MAKE SUPER BOWL A “SAFER” BOWL

With the Super Bowl only a days away, preparations for Super Bowl festivities are already underway. People are planning parties, and local bars and restaurants are stocking up on supplies. The annual NFL championship game is one of the biggest events of the year, with the largest TV audience, the most private parties (exceeding even New Year’s Eve), and the highest priced TV advertising (a record $2.4 million for 30 seconds).

Local public health and safety officials are also preparing for the Super Bowl. Police and sheriff’s departments across the country schedule extra officers in case Super Bowl celebrations turn violent. Trauma centers make sure they can handle the increase in highway deaths and injuries that follow the Super Bowl each year, many of which involve young people. This is even a problem right here in the Metroplex area. In the 2002 Texas School Survey of Corsicana ISD, over half our high school seniors reported using alcohol in the previous month. Moreover, alcohol is the number one cause of death for youth ages 12-21, implicated in motor vehicle crashes, homicide, and unintentional injuries.

Failing to address alcohol as a major factor contributes to problems related to the Super Bowl and places a burden on everyone. Even if you avoid alcohol-impaired drivers and street violence on Super Bowl Sunday, you will still pay for it somehow. The costs of addressing alcohol-related problems fall disproportionately on taxpayers—who underwrite the cost of public safety response, public works, and the criminal justice system.

One way to prevent many of the crashes, arrests, and injuries to our youth is through a community-based approach called Responsible Beverage Service. Responsible Beverage Service reduces alcohol-related problems by training retailers to serve and sell alcohol according to state and local laws, such as not selling to minors or intoxicated patrons. Good RBS means that bars check IDs, refuse service to drunk patrons, and the community gets involved to ensure safe alcohol service and sales.

Keeping our community safe through responsible alcohol sales is a winning proposition for everyone. For parents and adults hosting parties where alcohol and youth are present, keep tabs on your supply, monitor your children, and make sure you have nonalcoholic options available for your guests. If you are an alcohol retailer, serve alcohol responsibly and have your employees trained. Your Corsicana TABC certified Seller/Server training is provided by V.O.I.C.E., Inc., which is hosting a training this Wednesday, February 2 nd. Registration is required by Monday; for more information, please contact Gina Ward at 903-872-0180. As a business owner, you can’t afford not to.

It is time to stop paying for the “secondhand effects” of alcohol. Super Bowl Sunday is about fun, football, and friends. Don’t let your children get a false start! Target underage drinking in your home zone today, and support the efforts of your Corsicana Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking. (903-874-4263)