Curbing underage drinking

It was only last year that the state took some much-needed new steps to curb underage drinking. It's too early to tell whether the new law, intended to prevent alcohol consumption by teens, is working, although there are some indications that implementation of the new law should be improved. For instance, hand-held alcohol sensors, which can be used to detect whether a young person has been drinking, have been purchased by the state but not widely distributed to law enforcement agencies so far. ...

Some may argue the new law is too hard on young people, but South Carolina actually has lagged behind many other states in stiffening penalties for underage drinking. Binge drinking in recent years has been a problem at the state's colleges, and South Carolina retains the sad distinction of being No. 1 in the nation, tied with Montana, in drunken-driving fatalities.

It's far too early to know whether the new measures aimed at reducing teen alcohol use are a success. But they put young people on notice that underage drinking will not be tolerated. In a state with a sad history of many alcohol-related problems, that's a very important message to send to young people.

Banning cell phones

The Beaufort City Council is considering a ban on the use of handheld cell phones while driving, a move that could help pull a statewide ban out of the ditch.

The council discussed a ban at a workshop recently and is expected to take up a proposed ordinance soon. Councilman Mike Sutton suggested that the council push for a statewide ban, but other council members worried that such legislation would take too long to enact.

There's no reason Beaufort shouldn't lead the way on this issue. Members of the state House of Representatives certainly showed they weren't up to the task last session. House members sent back to committee a bill that would have banned 15- and 16-year-olds with restricted driver's licenses from using their cell phones to call or text someone while driving. That killed the measure for this year. Let's hope it gets back on track in the upcoming session. ...

This story was originally published September 13, 2008 at 1:08 AM.