Experts stress prom safety

LYNN – One bad decision can destroy a life.That’s according to police, lawyers and school officials who spoke to more than 250 parents Thursday night at Lynn Classical High School about prom safety.The speakers did not mince words when explaining to parents the consequences of their children drinking before or after the dance. They gave examples of high school students who have died, served jail time or been seriously injured after drinking.”High school is supposed to be carefree, but it’s not,” said Thomas Mountain, a lawyer for the Massachusetts-based Campbell Campbell Edwards and Conroy law firm who spoke to parents.Mountain also focused on the social host law in Massachusetts, which has serious consequences for adults who choose to host parties where alcohol is available to minors.Mountain said that under the new law, anyone who is hosting a party where people under 21 are drinking can face a $2,000 fine and jail time even if they aren’t the ones who provided the alcohol.And anyone, regardless of age, can be prosecuted under the law, he said.Mountain told parents story after story of parents whose lives are ruined after they let their children and their friends drink at their homes.”I can guarantee you Thanksgiving dinner is not enjoyable through glass,” he said, referencing the jail time many of those parents are now serving.Dennis Thompson, a vice principal at Classical, said many parents have a misconception that teens are going to drink anyway, so they might as well host the party in their own homes where it’s “safe.””There’s no such thing as safe drinking,” Thompson said.Thompson said he hopes Thursday’s meeting armed parents with safety tips to share with their children and other parents ahead of prom night.”A lot of parents feel intimidated today because the kids are the experts with things like technology and social media,” he said. “Nights like these give those parents more information so they can go home and have that conversation with their children.”The meeting did just that for Cora Patten, whose daughter is a senior at Lynn Classical. Patten said her daughter is in all honors classes and plans to attend Salem State University next year to study to become a veterinarian.Patten said the meeting drove home the point that all of that could be lost in a night while reaffirming her parenting strategy to be open and honest with her children about their decisions.”I tell them, ?Call me, no matter what happens; you call me and I will be there,'” she said of her four children.Amber Parcher can be reached at [email protected] you go? Thursday’s meeting is one of three that will take place at Lynn schools ahead of prom season. The next meetings will be held Monday at Lynn English High School and Wednesday at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute. All meetings start at 6 p.m. sharp. Each parent that attends will receive $20 off their child’s prom ticket. The 2012 Lynn Prom Parent Initiative is a collaboration with Lynn Public Schools, the Lynn Police Department, the Essex County District Attorney’s office, State Rep. Steve Walsh, The Communities that Care Coalition, Girls Inc. and The Daily Item.