Prom warning

Every spring, the excitement of proms, house parties and graduation heightens the potential for a tragedy that should worry every school and parent: The death of a student or students caused by drinking and driving.

Car crashes involving teen drivers are the leading cause of death for American teens, outstripping murder, cancer, suicide, and heart disease combined. In 2003, drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 were involved in 7,693 fatal crashes in the U.S. Nearly one-fourth of those drivers had been drinking.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle recently sent a flier titled "Those Who Host Lose the Most" to the parents of high school seniors in the county reminding them of the fact that it is illegal for them to provide alcohol to other people's children.

"...Parents are the first line of defense in deterring a young person's dangerous behavior ..." Swingle wrote in his accompanying letter.

An organization called the Campus and Community Coalition for Change asked Swingle to write the letter and paid for the postage.

Combating underage drinking is a year-round focus for the schools, principals say. But this is the time of year to pay extra attention to the problem.

The teen years are meant for making mistakes and learning from them. But some mistakes can't be corrected.