BINGE DRINKING... among our youth has become a growing problem in our community and around our nation. On April 19th, Annie Colonna, Assistant Director of the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange County, will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting on Binge Drinking in America. There will be a discussion of the social norms of drinking in America and how they impact underage and abusive drinking practices. This will be an opportunity to educate and spread awareness of the problem, as well as how to recognize the signs of abusive drinking, and how to identify the best practices and strategies for the prevention of underage drinking. This town hall meeting will be sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in conjunction with the Warwick Valley Community Coalition. The purpose of this event is to:

v Educate community members about the consequences of underage drinking;
v Empower communities to make environmental changes to prevent underage drinking; and
v Mobilize communities around underage drinking prevention initiatives at the local, State, and national levels.

There have been alarming statistics reported that have heightened the concern of community and political leaders both here and around the nation. Results of a recent survey by The State of New York show that underage drinking is widespread. Approximately 847,000 underage customers in New York drink each year. Students in grades 9-12 reported:

v 71.1% had a least one drink of alcohol on one or more days during their life.
v 21.0% had their first drink of alcohol, other than a few sips before age 13.
v 41.4% had a least one drink of alcohol on one or more occasion in the past 30 days.
v 23.8% had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row (binge drinking) in the past 30 days.

This meeting is open to all. Your involvement is important to our community and most of all, our youth. The meeting will be held April 19th at 6 p.m., Warwick Valley Community Center, in the Doc Fry Building located at 11 Hamilton Ave., Warwick, NY. For further information call 845-986-6422.