Two recent articles highlight ramifications of teen drug and alcohol usage

Two recent Post-Gazette articles once again focused the spotlight on the tragic ramifications of drug and alcohol usage among teens. The first, found at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12022/1205272-455.stm, follows a young woman in her battle against heroin. The second, included below in its entirety, illustrates what can go wrong when teens and alchohol mix.

Woman who gave teens alcohol before deadly crash pleads guilty
Monday, January 23, 2012
By Torsten Ove,
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Westmoreland County woman this morning pleaded guilty to supplying the alcohol at her teenage son's graduation party before a crash that killed three of the partygoers about a mile from the house.

Susan Sanders-Watt, 60, of Salem, pleaded to corruption of minors, reckless endangerment and 17 citations of serving alcohol to minors.

She admitted that she furnished a half-keg of beer for 16 teens who attended her 17-year-old son's party on June 26. Three teens -- driver Michael Simpson and two passengers, Jordon Cobb and Carly Kudray -- later died in a crash. A fourth passenger, Chad Vandergrift, was thrown from the car but survived.

All four were graduates of Greensburg-Salem High School.

No sentencing date was set.

Torsten Ove: tove@post-gazette.com or
412-263-1510.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12023/1205485-100.stm?cmpid=IPHONEAPP#ixzz1kO1GrpCz