Honesty, I don't think this is going to deter very many of these kids from drinking again in the future. Those who chose to drink that night, and those who choose to drink underage in the future, know that what they're doing is wrong and against the law. It's not as if now that they've been publicly reprimanded that they're going to realize it's anymore wrong than it was before. Furthermore, I have a hard time believing that the thought of missing one week of sports/activities is really going to instill fear in a kid who wants to drink at a party. Sure it's an inconvenience, but all in all it's not a big deal to most kids, as it shouldn't be. I mean really, how upset are you when you have to miss a tournament because of ringworm? Annoyed? Yes. Heartbroken? Hardly.
These policies are in place to serve as an absolute deterrant to kids drinking alcohol while they're in high school and I believe that the thought of missing an entire season is a little more daunting than missing a week of practice. As a result of that, I believe that less kids will end up drinking. And isn't that the point of these policies to begin with? To stop underage drinking?
Let's be frank. This suspension will not result in any drastic changes in the activities of these kids. Those who want to drink will, and those who don't won't. Hell, if this hadn't been publicized then I have a hard time believing any of these kids would have been too deeply affected at all. At Shawnee Mission East I know plenty of kids who make a great effort to not only abstain from drinking alcohol, but to distance themselves from it completely and that is because of the severity of the punishment. And as I already stated, that's the point of these policies in the first place.
