Sponsored by Honolulu Liquor Commission
The City and County’s Honolulu Liquor Commission is continuing its efforts to prevents underage drinking with the campaign, “Don’t Drown your Future,” by partnering with Hawaii Pacific University. To talk more about the partnership, HI Now host Jobeth Devera is with liquor commission spokeswoman Cathy Lee and Jakob Kimura, a freshman at Hawaii Pacific University.
Kimura graduated from Punahou in 2018 and is now on the men’s basketball team at HPU.
“I decided to come to HPU because I felt like it was the best fit for me and even though it was a hard decision not to go away for college, HPU has made me feel like I made the right decision,” he explains.
Kimura understands that underage drinking and the topic of alcohol abuse is an important issue among today’s youth because it’s one that not only puts their lives at risk, but others as well.
“I see underage drinking as a social thing. Many kids do it because they think it’s normal, they need it for a confidence boost, and they’re doing it because they are shy. However, I think there are other ways of socializing and making friends without relying on alcohol,” Kimura says.
Having grown up in Hawaii, Kimura knows how important it is to set a good example for younger generations in such a tight-knit community. While he was growing up, Kimura focused on healthy outlets like sports and started playing at a young age. Keeping his body in the best condition was always a priority for him.
“From eating healthy to strength and conditioning, there wasn’t much time for anything else,” he says.” I’m not saying that I didn’t have fun throughout high school, but if you have a goal that you’re striving for, there are sacrifices that you have to make in order to reach that goal, and that feeling of regret is one of the worst feelings to have.”
In the future, Kimura plans to graduate with a business degree and also aspires to play professional basketball overseas upon graduation.
The Honolulu Liquor Commission is always looking for partners to get involved in its cause. If you have a story you’d like to share about why you are taking a stand against underage drinking, email liq-media@honolulu.gov.
For more information: //honolulu.gov/liq.html