In November, an advertisement for Carver s restaurant appeared in the Durango High School student paper, El Diablo . Carver s was asked to remove any reference to alcohol, but said it could not. So the ad is out, El Diablo loses the backing of a local business, and Carver s is denied the opportunity to support students involved in something positive.
Alcohol abuse is a serious problem, and underage drinking is particularly troublesome.
The schools clearly have an important role to play in helping young people learn to make healthy choices. Editing out the word beer, however, is not the answer. Liquor stores, for example, cannot legally admit teenagers, let alone sell to them. They have no business marketing to high school students. That goes for tobacco, too.