Quick question: Do you know where your teenagers were last night? Do you know who they were with? Are you sure?
Norman actors and sponsors put on a mock "Reality Party" Wednesday night to showcase what actually goes on at an unsupervised party.
Alcohol, drugs, sexual activities and driving while intoxicated highlighted the party's agenda. Although the "actors" were Norman High drama students, the agenda was all too real. It was one of several such parties staged around Oklahoma.
Surveys continually show Norman has a problem with underage drinking. Although Wednesday's reality party focused on high school students, underclassmen at the University of Oklahoma also figure into the city's mix.
The city's new social host ordinance also was spotlighted. Parents who think they are "being cool" by serving and thus controlling alcohol risk arrest.
We've heard of parents who want to be their children's best friend as well as a responsible parent taking guests' keys and inviting them to stay over for the night. Better to drink and sleep it off here than to drive home drunk, they reason.
One parent observer said it best: "We have to not be afraid of our kids. Stay informed. Ask them where they're going. It's our job."
