Santa Monica Parents To Get Dose Of 'Reality' On How Teens Party

SANTA MONICA, CA — Parents in Santa Monica will get a glimpse this Saturday into how their children really act a high school party. The simulated high school party, called "Reality Party," will allow parents to tour various scenes at a mock house party depicting binge drinking, drinking games, marijuana and prescription drug use, and the risks around alcohol and sex, organizers said.

The simulated party will take place at CLARE Conscious Recovery, 1334 Lincoln Blvd. It is a program that was developed in conjunction with the city of Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Police Department and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

Students from the Santa Monica High School's drama department will play the parts of the teens in the simulations.

Santa Monica was chosen as because two Santa Monica teens have died just this year due to drug-related causes. Organizers hope this event will help prevent more alcohol or drug-related tragedies in the city. These tragedies underscore the vital need for parents and others to understand their kid’s real relationships with alcohol and drugs, organizers said.

"Reality Parties" are increasingly being used by treatment and prevention professionals to combat the high rates of teen substance use throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Santa Monica is among the most recent communities in LA County to address underage substance though reality parties.

By highlighting the issues and bringing parents, schools, mental health professionals and law enforcement together, organizers hope to help parents understand the problems inherent in underage parties and help to prevent them.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, spring and early summer months are a high-risk time for youth. Prom and graduation parties often involve significant alcohol consumption. Eleven thousand teens per day try alcohol for the first time in June and July compared to the 5 to 8,000 in other months, according to SAMHSA.

Youth nearly always get alcohol from adults. House parties are where most youths begin drinking—often as early as 10 or 11 years old, according to SAMHSA.

A survey by California Healthy Kids found that 63 percent of 11th graders in LA County have used alcohol and/or drugs, and 37 percent have used alcohol and/or drugs in the last 30 days. Additionally, 69 percent of 11th graders in LA County say it’s “very easy” or “fairly easy” to get marijuana.

A recent youth survey conducted by the independent community evaluator, Harder + Company, shows that 86 percent of Santa Monica youth find it “somewhat” or “very easy” to get alcohol, and house parties and other “social” settings are where they consume it. More than half of teens surveyed said they had attended at least three house parties in the past year where alcohol was available.

The event Saturday is aimed at parents of middle and high students. For more more information on "Reality Party," visit www.westsideimpactproject.org/realityparty.

―Photo via Pixabay