How easy is it for teens to get alcohol? Students speak out

This week Deseret Morning News Pulse reporters asked their fellow students, "How easy is it for teens to get alcohol?"

"I think it's easy for teens to get alcohol because they have older friends, they have brothers and sisters, they have parents that are irresponsible and leave it around the house; they can get it anywhere." -- Holly Gauthier, junior, Murray High School

"My friend knows where. It's pretty easy for her to get it. And a lot of times, people will just give money to older people who are old enough to get it. My friend's never gotten it, but she knows people who do." -- Tosha Gravitt, junior, Grantsville High School

"The kids' ability with technology to make fake IDs is getting easier, so I think students are finding it a lot easier to make their own fake IDs. People who don't check at little places don't really care." -- Channing Mccabe, senior, Judge Memorial High School

"Kids leave class to go do it." -- Eli Workman, senior, Riverton High School

"I live in Provo, so it's harder, I'm sure, there than other places. But I don't think it's really that difficult. You could just camp outside of a store and say 'Hey, wanna go inside and get me some alcohol?' People would do it." -- Chase Troutner, junior, Timpview High School

"It's not like it's locked up in a safe or something." -- Brittany Jensen, junior, Woods Cross High School

"My friend does. It's really easy for her to get stuff. She's never gotten stuff, but some of my friend's friends have gotten it from the same place she knows where to get it. Not from her, though." -- Callie Porter, junior, Grantsville

"Parents can just go out and buy it for them." -- Lynn Sharpe, senior, Murray

"No, I don't know." -- Tommy Cook, freshman, Grantsville

"Definitely, whether it's in their own home or from a friend, it's always accessible." -- Sindra Garcia, senior, Hillcrest High School

"People that are older than 21 will buy alcohol for minors because they are friends." -- Liz Phillips, junior, Judge Memorial

"I think it's pretty easy. Some kids have parents that have it, and if you go to parties it's usually there." -- Zach Megeath, junior, Riverton

"I don't think it is very easy to get alcohol because everyone is Mormon." -- Joe Baker, junior, Riverton

"I have no idea. I am completely clueless." -- David Meyer, senior, Grantsville

"I believe that teens can persuade older people to get them alcohol because older people get something out of it. People pay them and whatnot to do that." -- Kari Baker, senior, Murray

"For most teens yes, because they can just get it from their parents." -- Ambier Burton, senior, Murray

Nick Parker is a senior at Murray High School, Lisa Christensen is a senior at Grantsville High School and Chris Bliss is a junior at Riverton High School. All are members of the Deseret Morning News Pulse team of high school writers. If you are a Utah high school student and have a topic you would like to see covered, please e- mail pulse@desnews.com or write to Susan Whitney at the Deseret Morning News.

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