Today the Advance
www.silive.com, and a lot of other city papers, printed the results of a study listing Staten Island with the largest percentage of high school students who binge drink and do drugs.
On FreeFM, my new favorite radio station (please sense the sarcasm) once again made Staten Island the topic of their show from 6-9pm.
I was a little more alarmed by the callers than the facts of the study. Too many adults called and stated, sure they grew up here, and regularly drank and did whatever drug while they were younger. At least one admitted he was still using until recently.
Several others called and stated of course Staten Island is the higher rate, their is nothing else to do on that Island.
Then of course there are the ones that left and are still knocking this place. Why they feel the need to knock a place they choose to live for a at least a while is beyond me.
Here a few reasons we believe the rate for us may be higher.
- We have more families here where both parents are at work all day thanks to our real estate costs. Who can survive here on one salary?
- The parents are away from the house even longer due to our long commutes.
- We have more affluent families so the money for the kids to use is there.
- We have more areas for the kids to get away with it. The other boroughs are laid out differently.
- Obviously there is nothing else for them to do.
- Our kids have more cars here. Another easy hideout and way to get these things.
- Our store owners are selling the beer and alcohol because the police presence is different here than other boroughs.
- Peer pressure to use or to say you use is really high.
- Or maybe the rate here was inflated because we had more truthful answers. Maybe we have the most getting help right now. I would at least like to believe this last one could be true if that 24% is accurate.
It may seem unreal that we have 24% of our kids on drugs, but let's keep this in perspective. Our population is so much lower than the other boroughs that our 24% is still less than their 14% in an actual head count.
Maybe we do have less to do on this Island in theory, but please show me what the other boroughs have for TEENAGERS! Everyone forgets this group.
They are the forgotten generation. My son will be 13 this year. I know we are in for a rough for years. Except for his sports, nothing is geared to his age group. My options are to let him sit in front of a video game, let him shot some hoops, or hang out aimlessly with his buddies. The hoops is the only hope.
If we ever wanted a real reason to Save Staten Island, here it is. We have an entire generation in need. We have discovered countless things on this Island for people to do, but hardly any are geared to this generation.
If you are out there, please let us know. We need to promote you here.
Our teenage population is the immediate future. As it is now, they believe too many of the stereotypes about this place. They play into so many of them. They believe you need to leave the Island to have a life. The adults know this and yet we see it happen generation after generation with no end in sight. Time to stand up and help the Island from the inside.
