Combating underage drinking will be the focus of a town hall meeting that will take place Sept. 22, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Central High School, 24617 75th St. (Highway 50), Paddock Lake.
Kenosha will become one of hundreds of communities nationwide that will hold a Town Hall Meeting to alert the community to new research on the risks of underage drinking and empower the community to take action to stop it. The Federal Government’s Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking is supporting town hall meetings that are taking place in communities across America.
The Town Hall Meeting will educate parents, teachers, officials, youth, and other community members about the impact underage drinking has on the community. Panelists representing law enforcement, health care, insurance, and other community stakeholders will be presenting information and will be available for questions and public comment. Together, they will discuss possible ways to address the issue.
According to the latest Kenosha County Schools Search Institute Survey Report, among eighth graders, 22 percent reported being drunk at least once in the past month; 29 percent of ninth graders, and 37 percent of 11th graders reported being drunk at least once in the last month.
Research indicates that families exert a great deal of influence on whether a child uses alcohol later in life.
“What parents may not realize is that children say that their parents’ disapproval of underage drinking is a key reason they have chosen not to drink,” †said Steve Fredriksson, SPF process director for the Stand Tall Against Alcohol project of the Concerned Citizens Coalition.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services reports children and teens are less likely to abuse alcohol if parents are involved in their children’s lives, make and enforce clear rules, and are positive role models.
