Where were all the teens after the prom?

The new Teen Center at the Armory opened this past weekend for a post-prom all-night party.

CARE received incredible community support. The live band was paid for by the families of prom-goers. Food was provided by the Baker Street Bistro, Great Harvest Bread, Montana Coffee Traders, Coca-Cola Bottling, Meadow Gold Dairy and Costco. Furniture was provided by Wright's Furniture and by private donations.

More than $500 in door prizes was donated by Kandahar Restaurant, Whitefish Lake Golf Course Restaurant, MacKenzie River Pizza, Pollo Grill, Dos Amigos, Wrap 'n' Roll, Loula's, Buffalo Cafe, Pin 'n' Cue, O'Shaughnessy Center, City Brew and the Sportsman & Ski Haus.

But where were the teens? They were at private parties provided by well meaning parents. However, preventing alcohol and drug abuse in our teens takes more than stopping them from driving after a night of drinking.

Drinking these days is, more often than not, binge drinking. In Whitefish, where there is drinking there is usually marijuana use and, more recently, cocaine use. Meth-laced marijuana is also showing up in the Flathead Valley.

Hopefully next year, parents will support and encourage their teens to attend the Teen Center function rather than enabling post-prom drinking and all that accompanies it.

In the meantime, the Teen Center will be open from 7 to 11 p.m. on Saturday nights for Whitefish High School students. Let us, as adults, help our children start making healthy choices.

Linda Gwiazdon, of Whitefish, is a CARE board member.