Parents say prom favors promote drinking

Douglas High School prom goers will need to have their parent's signature to collect their candy-filled wine glasses and brandy snifters that serve as mementos of the evening.

"Frankly, I think the kids are going to hate this," said Maggie Allen, spokeswoman for the Douglas County School District. "On the other hand, we don't want to encourage underage drinking."

The Douglas County School district changed the policy to require permission slips Wednesday after several parents called to oppose the idea of handing out the glasses.

"I'm just livid," said parent Liana Rose. "After we teach them not to drink and drive, here our schools are giving them champagne glasses and brandy snifters."

Students will receive the forms the night of the dance and return them the following week in order to receive the mementos.

Those who do not have parental permission will receive a $5 refund per couple from the ticket price.

Allen said the glasses are generally given out as a memento for the night. She said they are filled with candy to make them favors and not drinking glasses.

However, parent Burke Cahill said filling the glasses with candy does not make the suggestion of alcohol any less prevalent.

"The idea of candy is nice," he said. "But the idea of handing out glasses to underage kids at a high school prom, advocating alcohol in any way, shape or form, is abhorrent."

Superintendent Pendery Clark said the incident was mostly a misunderstanding.

"The glasses were not purchased with that intent" to promote alcohol, she said. "It won't happen in the future."

Clark said the district tries to prevent underage drinking.

"Our whole emphasis has been on not drinking," she said. "We take a very strong stance in support of a safe, sober celebration . We don't want to jeopardize that."

Allen said the parents and the school need to work together to heighten awareness and eliminate such controversies in the future.

"It's one of those things I think we've always thought was harmless. Maybe it isn't," Allen said. "The parents and school need to work together to solve it."

Douglas High School's prom is Friday at Edgewood in Lake Tahoe.