Many adults frequently caution teenagers against the dangers of driving while drunk, but fail to address the core issue of teenage alcoholism.

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, the number of teenagers who drink and drive dropped by 54 percent between 1991 and 2011, because of zero tolerance laws and parental intervention.

However, over the years, many have pushed the issue of drunken driving to the point where this core issue of alcoholism among teenagers has fallen out of focus.

In 1997, when the Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) national organization broadened its focus by changing its name to Students Against Destructive Decisions, students were given an opportunity to seriously address the issue of alcohol among students.

However, students and adults have almost entirely disregarded the issue at Park, leaving  the once popular SADD chapter disbanded this year because of a lack in interest.

Reviving this issue and Park’s SADD club is crucial especially considering recent statistics. For example according to the 2012 Monitoring the Future study, 42 percent of high school seniors and 28 percent of sophomores have binge drunk in the past month.

At Park, there are posters hung up in many classrooms cautioning drug use, specifically marijuana, and the same should be done in regard to the issue of teenage drinking and teenage binge drinking.

Putting up posters like this  needs to come not only from the administration, but also from the students. While many teenagers are rebelling against authority, high school students tend to be more influenced by others that they can relate to. That is why, in order for this initiative to work, students need to take charge without pressure from the administration and call on their friends to join them.

The Oriole Code, which was painted in the C1 hallway, needs to be not just a talking point, but a guide for implementing real change in the community.

In order to induce a successful change in policy and outlook, students need to implement the Oriole code and be the upstanders in the community by looking out for one another and raising awareness to this important issue.