Monthly Archives: October 2008

Alcohol and decision-making

By Brett | October 27, 2008

This entry is part four in a series of five by our youth correspondent Brett Ouimette. Alcohol greatly changes people when they are drinking and becoming drunk. Part of the problem with underage drinking is the bad things that occur during parties and drunken behavior. Motor ability becomes impaired and suddenly people seem to have [...]

Posted in commentary/editorial, youth author | Tagged | Leave a comment

Reality Party hits home for Thousand Oaks mayor

By Emilie | October 22, 2008

Youth correspondent Emilie A, a high school student from Thousand Oaks, has been participating in Straight Up Reality Parties as an actor since 2007. Emilie, like all Straight Up youth, want parents to be more aware of dangerous party norms and risky behaviors associated with underage and binge drinking, and to help parents understand what [...]

Posted in article, review, youth author | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Getting bombarded by messages

By Brett | October 20, 2008

This entry is part three in a series of five by our youth correspondent Brett Ouimette. As we grow older and enter adolescence we begin to be bombarded with even more advertisements for alcohol. Commercials on television show beautiful woman and handsome men drinking alcohol while describing the taste as smooth and sensual. Many kids [...]

Posted in commentary/editorial, youth author | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Sober Conversation

By Shawn | October 17, 2008

It’s been six months since the needless death of Newbury Park High School student Cody Murphy. Cody, a junior at Newbury Park High, died in April when the car he was driving flipped over on PCH, killing him instantly and injuring four other passengers — some of them severely. Police found evidence that alcohol was [...]

Posted in adult author, commentary/editorial, event, review | Tagged | Comments closed

Not-so-childish games

By Brett | October 13, 2008

This entry is part two in a series of five by our youth correspondent Brett Ouimette. As far back as I can remember, I have known what alcohol is. It has been all around me. One of my first memories is being on vacation with my parents, watching them sit there in the sun and [...]

Posted in commentary/editorial, youth author | Tagged | Leave a comment

Paying it Forward — our beliefs influence our childrens’ futures

By Susan | October 10, 2008

Moms, it’s important that we don’t assume — and accept — that our children will in fact drink. Rather, we need to find ways to help our children develop self-views that don’t include drinking. In fact, Science Daily reports that a study found that the power of positive thinking by moms may limit their children’s [...]

Posted in adult author, commentary/editorial | Tagged | 1 Comment

Everyone — youth and adults alike — need to step up

By Brett | October 3, 2008

This entry is part one in a series of five by our youth correspondent Brett Ouimette. “Drink, Drink, Drink!” These seem to be the words that almost all teenagers (and even adults) associate with a fun and crazy weekend. Obviously I’m not talking about an ordinary beverage, I’m talking about alcohol. Alcohol is a very [...]

Posted in commentary/editorial, youth author | Tagged | Leave a comment