Welcome to the Straight Up blog! We are excited about this opportunity for teens and young adults to share their view points, opinions and experiences and to help facilitate important community dialog around the issues of underage and binge drinking and impaired driving. Read More »
Heather O’Neill, coordinator for Straight Up’s Let’s Talk program, presents a series of helpful posts, resources, and articles on a regular basis for the Straight Up blog.
The idea of handing out condoms to students is already controversial. Heck, the idea of teaching about condoms is controversial in some areas. But for some really inspired controversy, how about giving out condoms in elementary schools? Let the debate begin! Read More »
The first time I got drunk, I had no idea what I was doing. I was 14, out with friends who were much older, and ready to rebel. As I had been having regular fights with my stepfather at home (who raged at me while I wasn’t allowed to even slightly raise my voice to him), and felt pressured to be “perfect” in school and in extracurricular activities, I was a ticking time-bomb. Read More »
Posted in adult author, commentary/editorial, essay | Tagged alcohol, highschool, impaireddriving, parents, parties, sex, sexualassault, stds, underagedrinking |
This post was written by a high school student during Straight Up’s 2010 Leadership Conference, copresented by Ventura Unified School District.
I think drinking and driving is stupid to say the least, as well as underage drinking.
My family has always been close. Alcoholism does run in my family. In 2002, my brother was in an accident that almost killed him and four other people. He rolled his truck off a fifty-foot embankment. Three of the people didn’t have their seat belts on. Read More »
With all the noise about Tiger Woods and his multiple indiscretions this year, another story involving another athlete seems to have gotten buried. Basketball star Ron Artest, currently an LA Laker, has admitted to drinking cognac (a strong alcohol) during games. According to an interview with Sporting News Magazine in January, Artest admitted that he drank the liquor while playing for the Chicago Bulls (1999-2002), and kept it in his locker. At half-time, apparently, he would hit the bottle. Read More »
By Denise G.
Denise received an Honorable Mention for this essay in the 2010 “Say It Straight Up” writing contest, age 12-17 division. Denise is a student in Camarillo.
In today’s society there are a lot of teens drinking alcohol. I am not a hypocrite because I’m a seventeen-year-old female who has abused the use of alcohol. Drinking alcohol was one of my favorite things to do. I’d get up and out of my house by eight in the morning, walk to a liquor store and “fish” someone to buy me alcohol, that’s when you stand outside the store and ask someone to buy you alcohol. I drank a lot. I drank one or more 9.9% alcohol tall cans. Read More »
Heather O’Neill, coordinator for Straight Up’s Let’s Talk program, presents a series of helpful posts, resources, and articles on a regular basis for the Straight Up blog.
Parents, do you know what your teen is doing on their cell phone? A recent survey shows that 15 percent of teens are “sexting” these days, which means texting sexually explicit messages or photos of themselves or others using their cell phones. Teens do this for a variety of reasons, and it can have serious and far-reaching consequences. Find out more by reading the article here: “Survey: 15 percent of teens get sexual text messages” Read More »
Posted in adult author, article, link, parent, resource | Tagged parents, resources, risktaking, sex, sexting, teens, texting |
What are the factors and influences that drive a young person to drink in high school? Straight Up speaks with Ventura County young adults about why they chose to consume alcohol. Interviewees include Mario, a highschooler who describes in detail his battle with alcohol, and where he is today in his struggle. Read More »
Chicago blogger Matt Maldre posted a link to attention-getting prevention literature about impaired driving. The unique aspect to these publications is that they are nearly 80 years old. As Maldre points out “I often think of the battle against drunk driving to be an effort in the past 20 years,” a sentiment that many people may share, but these articles and illustrations bring home the fact that alcohol consumption and driving have been an issue since the early days of motor vehicles. Read More »
Written by Straight Up youth volunteer and Ventura County resident David Seemiller. David will be attending college in the fall.
Straight Up Ventura recently chose the winners for the “Say it Straight Up” writing contest for youth advocates.
The contest consisted of writing an essay which addressed subject matter such as about how alcohol affects teens and families. The contest was designed to raise awareness of underage and binge drinking and impaired driving within Ventura County. Essay submissions were required by April 30th, and the winners were notified on June 2nd. Read More »
Oobie-Doobie and Onward…
The first time I got drunk, I had no idea what I was doing. I was 14, out with friends who were much older, and ready to rebel. As I had been having regular fights with my stepfather at home (who raged at me while I wasn’t allowed to even slightly raise my voice to him), and felt pressured to be “perfect” in school and in extracurricular activities, I was a ticking time-bomb. Read More »