Boone County Drug Prevention Coalition to Host Town Hall Meeting on Teenage Alcohol and Other Drug Use

The coalition will hold a Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, May 13. Doors will open at 5:00pm for an art exhibition by Boone County youth and informational tables. A panel discussion meeting will be held from 6:00-7:30pm. End Quote

Chicago, IL (1888PressRelease) May 08, 2014 - The Boone County Drug Prevention Coalition will host a Town Hall meeting on underage drinking in Belvidere this May to recognize National Alcohol Awareness month. A Town Hall meeting, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), brings together community leaders and residents to discuss the problem of underage drinking in their community and work together to find solutions. Now in its 28th year, National Alcohol Awareness month encourages families and communities to reflect on the societal and health effects of alcohol consumption and promote drinking prevention for adolescents.

In 2012, 41% percent of high school seniors in the U.S. drank alcohol in the last month. In Illinois, this percentage was even higher, with 47% of seniors reporting use in the last 30 days. Drinking alcohol is particularly dangerous for teenagers because they are still learning how to make responsible decisions and alcohol impairs judgment. Teens who drink are more likely to engage in risky behaviors like unprotected sex and driving under the influence. Underage drinking is associated with an increased risk of negative outcomes like poor academic performance, violence and sexual assault, and serious car crashes and fatalities. In 2010, underage drinking cost the state of Illinois $2.9 billion in legal costs, medical bills, and other funds that went towards the aftermath of adolescent alcohol use.

The theme of the 2014 SAMHSA Town Hall Meetings are: "Our Town, Our Health. Our Future." The Boone County Drug Prevention Coalition Alcohol and Drug Town Hall Meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 13th at 5:00 at the Boone County Community Building Complex. The event is open to all community members. For more information on SAMHSA Town Hall Meetings, visit https://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/townhallmeetings/. For any questions about the event, contact Kristina Olsen, Prevention Specialist and Coalition Coordinator, 815-387-2536, kolsen ( @ ) rosecrance dot org

To learn more about underage drinking in your community, encourage the schools to participate in the Illinois Youth Survey (IYS). The Illinois Youth Survey is conducted with 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders and it collects information about alcohol consumption, attitudes and consequences in addition to other substances (e.g. marijuana) and issues such as bullying. All private and public schools in Illinois are welcome to participate at no cost to the school. Schools can register now to schedule dates for participation in the survey. For more information on the survey, review past survey results or to have your schools register, please visit http://iys.cprd.illinois.edu/.

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