High school members of the Friday Night Live Program in Sacramento County are conducting a community gathering to increase awareness of underage drinking, identify how underage drinking impacts the community, and brainstorm possible solutions.
On Thursday March 18, 2010, students at Highlands Academy of Arts and Design, in the Twin Rivers Unified School District, will conduct a town hall meeting. Community members are invited to attend and RSVPs are not required. The event begins at 6 p.m. and a light dinner will be served. [Get directions] The town hall meeting serves as an opportunity for parents, teachers, officials, youth and other community members to learn about the problem, voice their concerns, and offer suggestions for preventing young people from using alcohol.
The student-led project is a collaboration involving the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), Friday Night Live/Club Live, the California Office of Traffic Safety, and the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Students conducted on-campus surveys to determine if and how their peers were accessing alcohol. They also conducted surveys with key community stakeholders, including law enforcement officers, school administrators and parents. They will share their findings and lead the discussion on what can be done to address these important issues. Student members of Friday Night Live and Club Live programs from high schools and middle schools throughout the county will also attend and share results from assessment activities conducted on their campuses.
Participating Schools and Districts:
- Cordova High School (Folsom Cordova Unified School District)
- Del Campo High School (San Juan Unified School District)
- El Camino High School (San Juan Unified School District)
- Franklin High School (Elk Grove Unified School District)
- Grant High School (Twin Rivers Unified School District)
- Highlands Academy of Arts and Design (Twin Rivers Unified School District)
- Hiram Johnson High School (Sacramento City Unified School District)
- Inderkum High School (Natomas Unified School District)
- Natomas Middle School (Natomas Unified School District)
- Pacific High School (Twin Rivers Unified School District)
- Rio Linda High School (Twin Rivers Unified School District)
Some important facts about underage drinking:
- Alcohol is the most widely abused substance among America's youth.
- 14% of tenth graders and 28% of twelfth graders reported being drunk at least once in the last month.
- Each year approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. (Source: SAMHSA, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services)
For more information about the town hall meeting or the Friday Night Live programs, call (916) 228-2418.