York County Sheriff Bruce Bryant announced recently that the Sheriff's Office would make a concerted effort in 2007 to crack down on parties where teen-agers drink, on merchants who flout the law by selling alcohol to minors, at DUI checkpoints and other activities where adolescents are likely to have alcohol.

Within days of that press conference, two state legislators announced they had introduced bills to put more teeth in what are among the weakest laws in the nation dealing with this subject.

In an article that appears at right, state Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Columbia, and state Rep. Ted Pitts, R-Lexington, describe their proposal in detail. Among the reforms they want enacted are penalties for minors who attempt to buy or who possess alcohol, and to make it a crime for adults to knowingly allow minors to consume alcohol in their homes. Incredibly, neither of those practices are illegal in South Carolina now.

The initiative discussed by Sheriff Bryant is the second year of a two-year, $100,000 grant obtained from the S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services through an application prepared by Keystone Substance Abuse Services.

Rock Hill school board chairman Bob Norwood, who also leads York County Talks About Teen Drinking, discussed the county's theme for 2007: "Not One More." Attending the press conference were Rock Hill High School cheerleaders, a poignant reminder that one of their own, Kimberly Hobbs, 16, was killed last month by an adult driver police say was drunk.

The crusade against teen alcohol use is never-ending, if for no other reason that the at-risk population is a moving target. Every year, thousands of more children move into adolescence, where they are tempted to experiment with alcohol and other destructive behavior.

During prom and graduation season this year, progress was made on several fronts. Officers from the York County Multijurisidictional Drug Unit not only cracked down on prom night or after-graduation parties, but they also put the word out to local hotels and limousine services that underage drinking would not be tolerated. Numerous citations were handed out to merchants who sold alcohol to underage customers, acting in concert with police.

In the coming year, York County Talks About Teen Drinking plans to shift its focus somewhat. A recent survey conducted by Winthrop University confirmed earlier findings about the gap between what adolescents do and what parents think they're doing. For example, a majority of parents say their children don't drink at home, but many teens admit they frequently get booze from their parents' liquor cabinets.

It will take more than stronger laws and enhanced parent awareness to curtail underage drinking, but those are good starting points.

We urge readers to tell their legislators, their own children and their friends that York County vows, "No One More."

IN SUMMARY
Efforts to curb alcohol consumption by minors is picking up momentum but more needs to be done.