A local study by HUGS released in April found that students at WHBHS consume 30% more alcohol than the rest of the nation. Virtually half the student body reported binge drinking in the last 30 days. What is the reason? Is it the parents? Or is it the club-filled, tourist atmosphere?
According to the study, 69% of Westhampton Beach teens have reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days, which is 29% higher than the national average. Jessica Mendelson, a senior here at WHBHS, blames it on the “accessibility and the culture.” This may be the case, as in the 2.9 square miles of Westhampton Beach, 42 businesses hold liquor licenses. The high frequency of clubs and “party driven destinations” may distort local teens’ perceptions about the illegal consumption of alcohol. “The results don’t surprise me,” said senior Casey Hickey. “Drinking has never been looked at as a ‘big deal’ around here.” The absence of parents who work two, sometimes three, jobs in order to live comfortably in an expensive area such as the Hamptons leads to less supervision of their children. “ My mom works for the fire department,” said Junior Mike Zarro. “Most days she’s gone from 8am to 10 pm.” But this isn’t the only enabling factor; 50% of local students reported that their parents have given them permission to drink, not just at home, but with friends as well. However, this doesn’t explain how teenagers are actually buying the alcohol. Senior Corey Bentz said, “In Westhampton, there are a lot of kids who are friends with students in higher grades. These older kids end up having even older friends that are of the legal age to buy beer. It’s a kind of chain reaction, I think.” Public officials claim they have witnessed local teenagers asking Spanish-speaking residents to purchase beer for them, and because of the language barrier, they may not be aware of the law. “I’ve seen that done around East Quogue before,” said Mike. “Kids are more successful than you may think.” So as it stands, whatever the reasons may be, we (WHB students) consume more alcohol on average than the rest of the county, the island, the state, and the country. Local officials are tightening up the enforcement of social host laws and underage drinking, but will it be enough to counter the “party” atmosphere of the Hamptons? Maybe, maybe not. The attempt to restrict something that is such a big part of our local culture is definitely going to be a challenge.