Audio clip
Phil Summers
RINGGOLD, Ga. -- Catoosa County is one of seven counties in Georgia listed in the "high burden" category for alcohol-related crashes and underage drinking, according to a report from the state Department of Human Resources.
Catoosa County Family Collaborative Coordinator Phil Ledbetter discussed the dubious distinction at a recent County Commission meeting as he told commissioners about a grant application.
"It's not a compliment to us to be on this list, but if we do have some issues there, it's good to be able to apply for this grant," Mr. Ledbetter said.
The Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration would look for causes and solutions.
Based on juvenile court figures supplied by Mr. Ledbetter, the county recorded 40 alcohol violations involving offenders younger than 18 from July 2008 to through June 2009.
"Do we have a problem?" Commissioner Ken Marks asked after the meeting. "Yes, or we wouldn't be on the list."
The other six counties on the list are from across the state with few apparent similarities.
The ranking, based in part on the state Department of Human Resources' Social Indicator Study, puts Catoosa in the highest category for alcohol-related crashes among drivers ages 18 to 21 and 145th out of 159 counties in juvenile liquor and drug arrests.
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Staff file photo: Georgia law enforcement officers conduct a sobriety checkpoint.
The same social indicator data, however, indicate that Catoosa has Northwest Georgia's lowest overall "risk score" when all 29 study categories -- including child abuse, methamphetamine and sexually transmitted diseases -- are added up.
Catoosa's alcohol-related stats for adults are decidedly normal, the data show.
As to why the juvenile rates are high, officials point to everything from enabling adults to proximity to Chattanooga as potential reasons. Mr. Marks and Commissioner Jim Cutler both suggested thorough law enforcement might be part of the reason for the high numbers.
"We don't have any bigger problem than Cobb County or anybody else," Mr. Cutler said.
Catoosa County Sheriff Phil Summers said being on the list was a bit of a surprise, but added that he has seen an increase in underage drinking offenses.
When the county used to catch underage drinkers, deputies and officers would take the teens to the station and call parents without any formal charges. Now the county must press charges to get the teens and their parents to take the violations seriously, Sheriff Summers said.
"The mothers and fathers are not dealing with the problems," he explained. "They're either not able to or not willing to."
Mr. Ledbetter said he hopes the county receives the grant before any more young lives are lost.
Even without the grant, Sheriff Summers said the listing has opened some eyes.
"It calls attention and that's normally the biggest thing," he said. "If there is a problem, then someone needs to call attention to it so we can address it."
The problem is (us) we don't stand up and say no more. We make it easy to go out to eat and have alcoholic beverages with our meals. Each person is different in being able to consume alcohol and it affects each differently. My x-husband could drink beer all day and it not affect him, but if he had 2 martinis he would be to the point he could not walk a straight line. We have made it so easy for our kids to be able to get alcohol. This is not going to stop until the problem is stopped and that is (ALCOHOL) But, it will come down to, "you can't get rid of alcohol that is unconstitutional", I mean what kid is worth us getting rid of alcohol. Jesus gave His life for one of these kids, or do we fell alcohol is so much more important,and is worth more then kids and family's lives to keep it, GOD FORBID...
Ha, how the heck does a fictional character have anything to do with the drinking and driving problem? How stupid. Lets look at the real reason for busting dui persons, MONEY. It won't be long before it will be reduced to .06 as the legal limit. The cops don't care one bit about our safety and anyone who believes that dung is dumber then the cops. The government , town, county and state only want our money anyway they can take it from us. The sheeple are letting themselves be led to slaughter thru complacency
jdolls43, you obviously have had a problem in your family due to alcohol during your life and that is unfortunate. I believe you need to read a little American History (oh, sorry they really don't teach history in our schools now) and see what it has to say about the Temperance Movement and Prohibition. Why is it easy for kids to get alcohol? Enabling adults. If the police and courts did their jobs then it would put some of these folks in jail. Yes, yes Jesus gave his life for all of us but that in and of itself will not save people from themselves. He gave us free will (remember that whole Adam and Eve thing) and we and our precious snowflakes get to make decisions and we get to live with the decisions, right, wrong, or indifferent! I don't want the government on any level telling me what to do. And I certainly DO NOT want someone that may think they know what is better for me to try and tell me what to do.
Thanks gdh66, I was thinking the same thing. Jesus drank wine and all the good stuff. And as far as Adam and Eve is concerned, Isn't incest forbiden? So where did all the people come from if it is? But, everyone is an individual and makes there own choice. The government and state makes choices for us because something happend that they think writing a new law will make it better.....NOT!
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