Alcohol awareness event debuts in Times Square

Fort Myers Beach Bulletin/ Myers Beach Observer

By John Morton Fort

April 27, 2016

FORT MYERS, Florida – In the heart of the party zone during the height of the party season, Lee County’s Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida set up shop in Times Square on March 29 with a first-time seminar on the dangers of underage drinking.

“Fort Myers Beach is a fun place to be, and adolescents are hard-wired to take risks,” said Deborah Comella, the coalition’s executive director. “We want to remind them that they may not really know what’s in that cup someone handed them, or how dangerous it is to drink to excess in the hot sun.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about college students being of drinking age. Most are not. And the brain isn’t fully developed until someone is 22 or 23. So alcohol brings on a myriad of safety issues.”

The county’s Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida held an outdoor seminar in Times Square on March 29, reaching out to Spring Break participants about the dangers of underage drinking and binge drinking. Here, a student experiences “drunk googles” which impair one’s balance.

One of the presentations involved students sampling “drunk goggles,” which mirrored the effects of two drinks. They were able to see how their motor skills are compromised by even a low amount of consumption.

“Some thought it was funny, but others took it seriously and considered it a wake-up call,” Comella said. “We also had some people on hand from groups like SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) who has been touched by negative alcohol-related events. That strengthened the message.”

Comella said a very useful exercise during the day was the surveys the students took on the beach.

“We sent them out to interview the kids on Spring Break – asking them questions about their drinking behavior,” Comella said. “There were questions like ‘If you wanted a drink, how long would it take you to get one?’ and ‘How comfortable are you with your parents when it comes to the topic of drinking?’ I think we got real answers, because the questions were coming from their peers.”

Comella said the success of the event will likely lead to another one next year.