Be Free Lake Hosts Event as Part of Communities Talk: Town Hall Meeting to Prevent Underage Drinking: The Price of Underage Drinking
When Communities Talk, Prevention Is Possible
Leesburg, FL—April 1, 2016. Be Free Lake in partnership with Lake Sumter State College is hosting a Town Hall Meeting as part of Communities Talk: Town Hall Meeting to Prevent Underage Drinking. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness about the impact of underage drinking, introduce new laws that prevent those under age 21 from obtaining alcohol and to mobilize the community to take action.
This student lead Town Hall Meeting event will bring together community members concerned about underage drinking consequences and ways to prevent it. This event will be moderated by Dr. Isaac Deas and lead by his Lake Sumter State College Social Problems class. Panelists include: Adam Bolton, Chief, Umatilla Police Department; Phil Scarpelli, Department of Children and Families, Interim Region Director of SAMH; Kyleen Fischer, LifeStream Behavioral Center; Sean Parks, Chair, Lake County Board of Commissioners and James Argento, Esq., Assistant State Attorney.
The Town Hall Meeting consists of a question and answer format moderated by Dr. Isaac Deas. The questions have been developed by his students in his Social Problems class. The panel includes Lake County community leaders who are working on this issue in Lake County. Together, speakers and participants collaboratively explored tangible measures to prevent underage drinking.
Underage drinking is a major public health concern in our community and throughout the United States. According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 9 million—or one in four, 12- to 20-year-olds—reported alcohol use during the past month. Of these, about 5 million were binge drinkers, meaning that they consumed five or more drinks on at least one occasion. Underage drinkers are at risk for negative consequences, including lowered academic performance, involvement with law enforcement, risk of violence and sexual assault, and death.
Illegal use of alcohol can result in severe, even deadly, harm to themselves and others. In 2013, underage drinking cost the State of Florida $3,063 million dollars. For every dollar spent, the average cost savings from treatment is $7, where with prevention, the average cost savings is $18.
“We need to stop pretending alcohol isn’t a problem, and be open about how it is affecting our community. Talking about it is only the first step; we must do whatever it takes to prevent underage drinking and secure the futures of our young adults. Each of us has a role and a responsibility,” said Debi MacIntyre, Executive Director, Be Free Lake.
According to national data, parents’ voices do count when it comes to underage drinking. This approach, along with other environmental strategies, has proven to reduce the incidence of underage drinking.
Visit befreelake.org to learn more about underage drinking prevention.
The Communities Talk: Town Hall Meeting to Prevent Underage Drinking was created with support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in collaboration with the federal government’s Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking. To learn more about this national initiative, go to https://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/townhallmeetings. And join the online conversation, #CommunitiesTalk.
