Readers write to us

Alcohol kills more teens

To the Editor,
Food for thought for the students walking out of class to get gun laws changed.
If saving young lives is your end goal consider addressing a bigger problem. Teen alcohol use kills 4,300 people a year, in 2016 10,497 people were killed and 290,000 injured in drunk driving crashes (per MADD).
 In comparison, since Sandy Hook  Dec. 2012, 438 students have been shot with 138 killed in school shootings.
 Students, do the math, if you truly are demonstrating to save young lives then demonstrate to get a law passed to have all vehicles equipped with ignition interlock devices (car breathalyzer units) which will save far more youth than any change in our current gun laws.

Dave Lieber
El Dorado

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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

To the Editor,
April is nationally recognized as Child Abuse Prevention month. Research commissioned by Prevent Child Abuse America shows that most people are already involved in prevention by mentoring children or parents (70%), donating (80%) or advocating for children and families (77%). However, only 27% of respondents engaged in those activities reported involvement with child abuse prevention.
As the Kansas Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, Kansas Children’s Service League’s goal this April and year round is to help others recognize the role we all play in healthy child development. Every $1 Kansas invests in programs and strategies like home visiting; parent education; mutual self-help support; mental health and substance abuse treatment; respite care; and safe, affordable child care saves $7 or more in services on the back end. Consider volunteering as a mentor to a parent or child or advocating for family-friendly policies. Join us in creating a better Kansas where all children have the great childhoods they deserve and abuse and neglect never occurs.
What role will you play in strengthening families and building great childhoods for all children?

With Appreciation,

Vicky Roper
Prevent Child Abuse Kansas Director
vroper@kcsl.org