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How One Teen is Taking it Back in Florida

Tyler Winik is an 18-year-old senior who knows that five funerals for classmates in one school year is five too many. Five teens have died in alcohol-related crashes in Tyler’s community since the start of the 2006-7 school year – and he’s working to make a difference in his home state of Florida. For months, Tyler has been working with local officials and state legislators to stiffen penalties for adults who sell, provide or serve alcohol to minors. Even though it may seem difficult at times, Tyler has kept going for the sake of his friends and his community.

I first decided to take action after the deaths of two of my friends, Morgan Gordon, 16 and Chelsea Beck, 17, who died in a car crash after a house party in September 2006, Tyler says. Even after their deaths, the use of alcohol and other drugs among our friends continued to rise. It was clear to me that many people at my school and in the community didn’t learn anything from Morgan and Chelsea’s deaths. So I decided to take their story and try to make a difference.

Making it personal
In the weeks and months after the crash, Tyler established a plan of action that was directly related to his friends’ deaths. He took their story to local leaders and made it personal when he asked for their support. It was the best way I knew to get attention for the tougher laws that need to be passed in Florida, Tyler says.

Finding allies
Initially, Tyler worked closely with Mr. Dwight Severs, the City Attorney for the City of Titusville, Florida, who penned legislative proposals that eventually became Florida Senate bills 326, 328, 387 and 410. If passed, these new laws would significantly toughen the penalties for adults who sell, buy or serve alcohol to minors. One bill would make it a felony to provide alcohol to minors at house parties and make the violator liable for any injury or damage that happens as a result. Severs also has a personal stake in the underage drinking issue – he worked to change the open house party laws in 2000 after the death of his son.

Mr. Severs was a major player in starting this legislation, Tyler explains. He has been a great person to bounce ideas off of and has been supportive through all of my meetings, trials and failures. But through it all, we have had more successes than failures because of his help and experience. The four bills are now being sponsored in the Florida legislature by Senator Bill Posey from Rockledge.

Having patience through the process
Even with all of the work that Tyler has put into getting support for the legislation and getting it into the Florida legislature, nothing has changed – yet. The Senate bills are currently going through their committees and I’m planning to attend the hearings. Ultimately, I hope to see all of these bills passed. Even though the bills are by no means the most strict or punishing legislation that could be written for providing alcohol to minors, they are the best ‘next step’ in a multi-step process that will take years to create. Tyler heads to Tallahassee during his Spring Break to meet with state legislators and Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp to discuss the bills and other issues concerning underage drinking.

Never stop telling the story
Looking ahead, Tyler says, I will continue to work on other bills concerning alcohol and underage drinking. I’ll be working with local groups and the American Red Cross on projects related to alcohol, especially about informing parents and telling them the story of what happened to my friends.

When asked if he could give any advice to other young adults who want to make a difference when it comes to underage drinking, he says, Do your homework, know the statistics, and become more involved. Winik adds, …by simply talking more with your parents or guardians, or by encouraging friends not to take that sip of alcohol, you could possibly save someone’s family from having to identify their child at the morgue down the road. The most positive thing our generation can do to help put an end to the alcohol epidemic is to talk to your local, state, and national leaders about more preventative education and programs, stricter laws, and the enforcement of laws that currently exist. Someone will hear you, and if you talk loud enough and for a long enough period of time, something can be done to change the future.