Seventeen-year-old Shanda Preble said that although she does not drink alcohol, if she wanted it, she would have no trouble getting it.

"I could make a phone call right now and have alcohol in 10 minutes," Preble, a senior at Central High School, said. "That's how easy it is, and that's how easy it is for any kid nowadays."

With graduation and summer events coming up, Rapid City Police Officer Chris Hansen said there is more emphasis on the dangers of teen drinking. Hansen is the liaison officer at Central High School.

In 2006, 13 teenagers died in drinking and driving crashes in South Dakota, according to the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

A survey published by South Dakota's Parents Matter Campaign said 65 percent of underage drinkers got their alcohol from family and friends.

Parents Matter began in spring 2006 by the state Department of Public Safety, Department of Human Services and Attorney General's Office, and is designed to help parents talk to their children about alcohol prevention.

Hansen said adults need to lead by example, and the first step is not to purchase or provide alcohol for underage people.

"There's a huge amount of risk and responsibility that goes into providing a safe environment for our students," Hansen said. "For an adult to take that risk, there are so many things that can go wrong."

It is a class 1 misdemeanor in South Dakota to provide or sell alcohol to someone younger than 18.

That carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

It is a class 2 misdemeanor to provide alcohol to someone who is at least 18 but younger than 21.

That carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.

People younger than 21 can legally consume alcohol in South Dakota if they are in the immediate presence of their spouse or parent.

But a possible misdemeanor conviction is not the worst that could happen when providing alcohol to teens.

In the early morning hours of May 16, Dalles Brucklacher, 18, of Philip was killed in a pickup crash while 18-year-old Zane Fees, also of Philip, was driving.

Capt. Randy Hartley of the South Dakota Highway Patrol said alcohol was involved.

Hartley said the accident is an example of the ultimate tragedy that can take place when alcohol ends up in the hands of teens.

The accident occurred almost a year to the date after the accident near Belvidere that killed 18-year-old Michael Glynn. Glynn was intoxicated and driving home from a high school graduation party May 15, 2006, when he lost control of his car. He died two days later.

"Of course nobody thinks it's going to happen to them, but we never know," said Paula Wilkinson Smith, executive director of Lifeways, a nonprofit drug and alcohol prevention and intervention agency in Rapid City funded by the state Division of Alcohol and Drugs

Wilkinson Smith said accidents aside, major health problems and delays in development can also occur when teenagers drink alcohol.

Young people are more vulnerable to dangers of alcohol because their brains and bodies are still developing, Wilkinson Smith said.

Wilkinson Smith said 21 is the legal drinking age for a reason.

"At that age, a person has gone through the stages of physical development and are at an age to make better decisions," she said.

She said one of the main problems with adults providing alcohol for teens is the message it sends to young people.

"The message we're giving them as a community is that they need alcohol to have a good time," Wilkinson Smith said.

She said the Lifeways advisers who work in area schools to educate students about healthy choices have been trying to get the point across to teens that there are many ways to have fun this summer without alcohol.

Wilkinson Smith said she encourages parents to share their experiences with students.

"They don't need to know every detail," she said. "But kids need to hear factual stories about what alcohol can do. They need to know it's real."

If parents had a negative experience with alcohol at some point in life, they should share that with their child in an age-appropriate way.

If they never used alcohol or rarely used it, they should discuss how they handled peer-pressure and how they avoided using.

Wilkinson Smith said parents who allow their children to drink alcohol at home because they think they are safer that way are giving their children the wrong message: that they need to be drinking to have a good time.

"That is a dangerous message," she said. "Not only for their children but for the other children involved."

Wilkinson Smith said she reminds parents that students do not need them to be their best friends, they need them to be their parents.

"Teaching them they don't need alcohol to have a good time is one of the most valuable lessons you can teach them," Wilkinson Smith said.

Danielle Calhoun, a senior at Rapid City Academy, said her parents provided a good example for her as she grew up that underage use of alcohol was dangerous and not necessary to have a good time.

"I think most kids look up to their parents," she said, despite stereotypes that teenagers do the opposite of what their parents think they should do.

A survey published by the Parents Matter campaign said two-thirds of teens surveyed said losing their parents' respect and pride is one of the main reasons they do not use illegal substances.

Hansen said it is important for teens to remember how the choices they make influence others.

"Teens are influential on other people and as they graduate, other students are looking up to them," he said.

He said he gives credit to the students who have worked to put together positive, drug and alcohol-free activities for students.

Hansen said other area schools are taking similar approaches to teaching teens about alcohol.

Calhoun said although she thinks teen drinking is a problem with students at her school, she chooses not to drink.

"I don't feel pressure," she said. "My friends know I'm outspoken and am not going to listen to anybody around me telling me to drink."

The S.A.V.E. Program, or Stand Against a Violent Environment, at Rapid City Academy allows students to get involved in promoting healthy decisions to their classmates.

S.A.V.E. shows positive movies, works to clean up around the school and encourages students to avoid using alcohol and drugs.

Calhoun said she is aware of the dangers and possible legal consequences of underage drinking.

She said it is easier to say no to alcohol than it is to sit in front of a judge and explain after being charged with minor consumption.

Calhoun and Preble said they will not be using alcohol while celebrating their upcoming graduations.

"You can have fun without drinking," Calhoun said.

Preble said it helps having friends who also choose not to drink.

"I've decided I'm not going to be around that because with that always comes trouble," Preble said.

National teen alcohol statistics:

* More than 40 percent of individuals who begin drinking before age 13 are classified with alcohol dependence at some time in their lives.

* Those who start drinking before age 14 are 12 times more likely to be injured than those who begin drinking at or after age 21.

* Those younger than 21 account for 11.2 percent of licensed drivers in the U.S. but represent 25.1 percent of drivers in accidents involving injuries or fatalities.

* 65 percent of teens who drink say they get their alcohol from family and friends.

Source: South Dakota

Parents Matter campaign

How to talk to your children about alcohol:

* Be supportive of them.

* Let them know they can talk to you about anything.

* Don't criticize.

* Use current events to raise alcohol issues.

* Ask for their reactions to current events.

* Make talking about alcohol a discussion, not an argument.

* Take advantage of daily opportunities to talk, such as in the car or at the dinner table.

Source: South Dakota

Parents Matter campaign

Contact Katie Brown at 394-8318 or katie.brown@rapidcityjournal.com