LANCASTER, Wis. -- Ben Franklin observed, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Grant County's Fresh Start program -- designed to reduce and prevent underage- drinking repeat offenses -- seems to take the Founding Father's saying to heart.
This year, those who successfully completed the program have reoffended at a rate of 1 percent; those who haven't,
13 percent.
Dave Reuter, a Grant County Sheriff's Department deputy, has taught the 12-hour course since its inception in 2002 by The Roundtable of Grant County, a Lancaster-based organization promoting positive youth development and the reduction of underage drinking.
"It's a prevention-based program, more health- and safety-based," Reuter said. "When you choose to drink, there are both responsibilities and consequences."
Fresh Start is an alcohol- and drug-risk program that utilizes the national Prime For Life curriculum, developed by the Prevention Research Institute in Kentucky. It is designed to gently but powerfully challenge common beliefs
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In Grant County, Fresh Start is an
alternative to being cited for an underage-drinking violation, along with the possible loss of a license and higher insurance premiums. It offers an alternative to a court
appearance.
Fresh Start Coordinator Laura Murphy said program participants learn there are alternatives to drinking.
"One doesn't have to drink to have a good time," she said. "There's a lot of information out there. It enables you to make better choices."
Successful completion means offenders' tickets do not go to the courts. A majority of the participants pass, Murphy said.
"You have to try hard," Reuter said. "Many of the participants, surprisingly, take notes. They do care."
Fresh Start in Grant County traces its inception to several years ago, with growing concerns about underage drinking in the county. Law enforcement officials analyzed court statistics. They found the rate of reoffense in 2000 averaged 11.9 percent, dipping slightly to 10.3 percent in 2001. After implementing the Fresh Start program in 2002, the drop in repeat offenses was startling, Murphy emphasized.
"Fresh Start is making a difference in Grant County," she said, giving credit to program co-facilitators Reuter and Deb Goold. "They're doing a great job. They're very dedicated.
Reuter also is an experienced DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program instructor.
"We want to get to them before they get into trouble," Reuter said of the teens in the program. "I feel good, they seem to listen."
