By Kasey Fowler, Staff Writer
Enid News & Eagle
ENID — Empty beer cans are scattered across a room, one can perched atop a candle holder, another shoved between the couch cushions. A beer bong hangs from a couch. Teens mingle and talk with red plastic cups in their hands. One teen giggles as the cup he balanced on his head falls off and he drops his beer bottle. It’s a typical teen drinking party scene, but these teens aren’t actually drunk. These teens are attempting to help educate parents on the dangers of teen drinking. Youth Opportunity Task Force Drug and Alcohol Subcommittee and PreventionWorkz APRC, with the help of local teen acting groups, are hosting the third Reality Party, a home tour portraying a teen drinking party, tonight north of Enid. The Reality Party’s mission is to educate parents about teen drinking because many adults believe drinking is a rite of passage and think drinking and parties are the same as when they were young, said Tammy Grantz, executive director of PreventionWorkz APRC. “We are trying to educate parents on the dangers of underage drinking because we want to help keep their kids safe,” she said. The party is portrayed by local teen actors from church youth groups, Kingfisher’s Teens Awareness Group, Teens Need Teens and Gaslight Teens. The actors will act out scenes that could happen at a teen drinking party, including drinking games that encourage young people to drink dangerous amounts of alcohol in a short period of time, sexual promiscuity and law enforcement involvement. Eloy Jackson, a member of Teens Need Teens acting group, said the portrayal of the teen drinking party is realistic. “We are showing parents what it is like as much as we can. I think this is as PG-rated as we can make it,” Jackson said. The Reality Party’s target audience is parents of children junior high and high school age. The tour is only open to adults — it is not intended for children or teens. Tours start at 5 p.m. today and run every 25 minutes through 9 p.m. Following the tour, participants will have in a short debriefing with a Garfield County Sheriff’s Office deputy and counselors from Youth and Family Services. The tour lasts about 25 minutes, and the debriefing lasts 10 to 15 minutes. Reservations must be made by 5 p.m. today by calling 233-7220. For information about the Reality Party, contact Grantz at 234-1046.
