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Underage Drinking
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Forum to raise awareness of problem's prevalence
By KYRA DAVIS
kdavis@uvsj.com
REXBURG – Don't think underage drinking in Rexburg and surrounding areas is a problem? School officials, law enforcement and students say you'd be surprised.
On March 25 at the Madison High School Library, an Underage Drinking Town Hall meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m., for the purpose of alerting parents, teens, and community members about the prevalence of underage drinking among the community's youth. Breakfast will be provided.
The meeting is sponsored by the Madison County Community Council, Madison School District, Rexburg Police Department, Sugar-Salem School District and the City of Rexburg.
Madison School District representative Janet Goodliffe said the purpose of the event is to raise awareness, and discuss and develop possible solutions related to preventing underage drinking in the community.
The Mayors Youth Advisory Board has put table toppers out in area restaurants to advertise for the upcoming town hall meeting.
"The signs are just not for students – it is also for the parents out there that are oblivious that this (drinking) is going on," said Alei Whyte, Mayors Youth Advisory Board member and junior at Madison High School. "This is happening even in good old little Rexburg."
Goodliffe said that school surveys sent out show that anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of students have been involved with drinking. Goodliffe said prescription drug abuse is also on the rise.
"We want to hit this head on and get help from the community. And another important thing for people to be aware of is that this is not just boys – we are having a higher percentage of female students involved in this too," she said.
The Town Hall meeting is part of a national campaign, the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, with more than 1,500 communities participating.
"We want to get parents talking with their children, even when they are as young as 10 years old, about the parents' belief system about the use of alcohol," Goodliffe said.
"Whether or not you know it, children are listening and what you tell them can translate into a protective factor when they reach an age where they might be offered alcohol," Goodliffe said.
Alan Dunn, Sugar-Salem District superintendent and chairman of the Madison County Community Council, agrees that parents play an influential part in a child's choice about alcohol.
"The greatest deterrent to underage drinking by our youth today is their parents. A good relationship between parents and their children, and the discussions they have together, go farther toward that end than anything else," he said.
At the Town Hall meeting, law enforcement officers will discuss the increase in the underage drinking and other drug abuses. There will also be a panel discussion in which people can help find ways to give students alternatives that keep them away from drug and alcohol abuse.
"The more a student is involved in the community, the less likely they are to be doing these other dangerous things," Goodliffe said.
All community members are welcome to attend the Town Hall meeting to share ideas and their perspective on the situation. Contact Megan Riley at Madison School District by calling 359-3300 ext. 3426 if you would like to attend.
On March 25 at the Madison High School Library, an Underage Drinking Town Hall meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m., for the purpose of alerting parents, teens, and community members about the prevalence of underage drinking among the community's youth. Breakfast will be provided.
The meeting is sponsored by the Madison County Community Council, Madison School District, Rexburg Police Department, Sugar-Salem School District and the City of Rexburg.
Madison School District representative Janet Goodliffe said the purpose of the event is to raise awareness, and discuss and develop possible solutions related to preventing underage drinking in the community.
The Mayors Youth Advisory Board has put table toppers out in area restaurants to advertise for the upcoming town hall meeting.
"The signs are just not for students – it is also for the parents out there that are oblivious that this (drinking) is going on," said Alei Whyte, Mayors Youth Advisory Board member and junior at Madison High School. "This is happening even in good old little Rexburg."
Goodliffe said that school surveys sent out show that anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of students have been involved with drinking. Goodliffe said prescription drug abuse is also on the rise.
"We want to hit this head on and get help from the community. And another important thing for people to be aware of is that this is not just boys – we are having a higher percentage of female students involved in this too," she said.
The Town Hall meeting is part of a national campaign, the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, with more than 1,500 communities participating.
"We want to get parents talking with their children, even when they are as young as 10 years old, about the parents' belief system about the use of alcohol," Goodliffe said.
"Whether or not you know it, children are listening and what you tell them can translate into a protective factor when they reach an age where they might be offered alcohol," Goodliffe said.
Alan Dunn, Sugar-Salem District superintendent and chairman of the Madison County Community Council, agrees that parents play an influential part in a child's choice about alcohol.
"The greatest deterrent to underage drinking by our youth today is their parents. A good relationship between parents and their children, and the discussions they have together, go farther toward that end than anything else," he said.
At the Town Hall meeting, law enforcement officers will discuss the increase in the underage drinking and other drug abuses. There will also be a panel discussion in which people can help find ways to give students alternatives that keep them away from drug and alcohol abuse.
"The more a student is involved in the community, the less likely they are to be doing these other dangerous things," Goodliffe said.
All community members are welcome to attend the Town Hall meeting to share ideas and their perspective on the situation. Contact Megan Riley at Madison School District by calling 359-3300 ext. 3426 if you would like to attend.
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