Community invited to Participate in Orcas Prevention Town Hall

Contributed by Marta Nielson
Orcas Island Prevention Partnership Community Coalition Director

In recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month in April, communities throughout the nation are conducting town hall meetings to discuss what can be done to prevent and reduce underage drinking.  On April 21^st, at the Senior Center, beginning at 5:30 pm, the Orcas Island Prevention Partnership – a Community Coalition (OIPP) will host an “enhanced” version – our own Prevention Town Hall Meeting.  “The Coalition Partners thought this would be a great opportunity to invite the community to participate in a broad scale community assessment,” said OIPP Director, Marta Nielson. So, in addition to addressing Underage Drinking, our local meeting will also discuss Teen Sexuality – Resources and Education, and offer participants an opportunity to both highlight the nature and scope of local issues and to discuss and promote effective preventative strategies.  Attendees can also fill out a short community assessment survey which asks questions about a broader range of locally specific prevention issues.

Nationally, the scope of the underage drinking problem remains enormous – for example:

• 10.1 million underage youth (aged 12-20) are current alcohol drinkers.
• 17.4% of underage youth engaged in binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row) during the past month.
• 16.7 percent of youth age 18 – 20 have driven under the influence of alcohol in the past year.

On Orcas our statistics closely match those of the national survey:  The 2008 Healthy Youth Surveys and Pride Surveys reveal:

• 25% of 8^th grade students reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days
• 15% of 8^th grade students reported drinking five or more drinks in a row in                  the past two weeks.
• 50% of 12^th grade students reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days
• 33% of 12^th grade students reported drinking five or more drinks in a row                  in the past two weeks.

In 1995, one in 20 of Washington State’s teenage girls between the ages of 15 and 17 became pregnant; one in 35 had a baby (3,121 births). Of those giving birth, 17 percent had a prior pregnancy. Also, teen pregnancies in the 15-17 year old age group are at the highest risk for poor birth outcomes.

The upcoming Town Hall meeting is an attempt to work at the grassroots level to raise community awareness of the challenges and provide parents and families with practical steps for steering youth away from risky behaviors.