Youth Rights & Responsibilities

This category encompasses articles regarding the important rights of youth in Arizona. Articles may discuss topics regarding school rules (for example, dress code), laws that pertain to youth (for example, truancy laws, emancipation, curfew laws), and responsibilities of youth (for example, jury duty, registering to vote, signing up for the draft at 18, etc). Write an article regarding your thoughts on youth rights and responsibilities!

Dangers in Driving on Prom Night

Car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. In 2014, 2,270 teens ages 16-19 died in motor vehicle accidents . That is equal to six teens dying in accidents every day. Teenagers actually drive less often than all age groups, except for the oldest group of drivers, but the fatal crash rate for ages 16-19 is three times higher than drivers 20 and older.

21 to Smoke

Over the decades a lot has changed about smoking it's: prevalent use, impact on health, the tools we use with it, even what we call it.  The once widely popular habit took a nose dive when people realized the harmful effects of smoking. The first lawsuit against cigarette manufactures started in the 1950s and people have been continuing to fight for protections from the tobacco industry ever since. This time the fight is coming from a group of local high school students who call themselves, DCrew more formally known as the Cochise County Youth Health Coalition. This group spread the word about the harmful effects of tobacco and asked for the buying age of tobacco to be raised form 18 to 21 in the Douglas, Arizona. DCrew was able to provide valuable statistics and information in April to the mayor who listened to their proposal and passed their recommendation on July 12th. Douglas is now the second city in Arizona, behind Cottonwood, to pass this new protection but we can bet they will not be last as the trend spreads through the state and across the nation.