Scott County's high health rankings doesn't mean work is done

Scott County's stellar position in a first-ever county-against-county health rankings report is not exactly leading to balloons and confetti.

Instead, it is drawing attention -- as it was supposed to -- to the defects the survey exposed.

"Parents should see this information, not just some elite group," township leader Cy Wolf told a gathering of civic leaders this month, holding up a sheaf of statistics on sexually transmitted diseases and other signs of risky behavior. "What good is this if only we see it, and the majority of the people have no clue?"

Scott finished second out of more than 80 counties across the state in a ranking produced by experts at the University of Wisconsin, with funds from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. But it didn't do well in every single category.

And even where it ranked fairly well, the actual numbers were sometimes unsettling.

For instance, rates for chlamydia -- a sexually transmitted disease than can have dire results later on in life -- are four times as high as what's called the "target" figure. And 20 percent of all those asked confessed to binge drinking.

"Our goal now is to listen and ask questions," said County Commissioner Jon Ulrich as he convened a panel of experts. "Is there anything we should be doing differently? After all, this news isn't brand-new -- in fact, we've had two major initiatives already on risky behaviors."

Law enforcement officers told the group that the social host laws are having the desired effect. Cases have come up in some communities and been publicized in weekly papers. "It's a success," said Prior Lake police detective Chris Olson. Added Sheriff Kevin Studnicka: "I think social host has paid dividends."

Even so, though, said County Attorney Pat Ciliberto, there were 345 alcohol-related cases last year involving kids 17 and under. That included two drunken-driving, eight open-bottle, 14 drinking-and-driving without testing over the limit, and hundreds of other cases of alcohol consumption by minors.

"The goal," he said, "is fewer kids drinking and driving."

New Prague school officials brought along results of a recent survey of 9th- to 12th-graders in which, among other things:

• 143 students, or 13 percent of those surveyed, said that when they drink, they typically slam down at least six bottles or glasses at a single sitting.

• And 60 students (6 percent) said they drink every three days on average, if not more often.

Heather Bicking, chemical health specialist for the Belle Plaine schools, said she's hearing kids say that drug use, including prescription drugs, is "increasing and becoming more acceptable. Kids don't see sharing meds as any different from sharing Advil."

It would be helpful to have schools and parents interacting earlier, she added: "The only time I hear from them is when a kid's in crisis and they want them in treatment."

School officials said the irony of heightened attention to these issues is that in tough budget times, social workers and the like who confront these same issues can be the first to be laid off.

But Studnicka said they could be doing more. "When I was in school, if you were in sports and were caught drinking it was eight weeks" out of sports. "Why are we so soft on this today?"