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OASAS Supports Alcohol Awareness Month with Statewide Town Hall Meetings to Prevent Underage Drinking

OASAS News Release; 3/31/2014

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Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez announced that the ���������� State Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are organizing town hall meetings to support Alcohol Awareness Month in April.

“While underage drinking has declined slightly in recent years, alcohol continues to be used by more young people than tobacco or illicit drugs,” said Commissioner González-Sánchez. “The town hall meetings will educate parents, youth, and community members about underage drinking consequences, empower communities to use evidence-based approaches, and mobilize communities around underage drinking prevention initiatives at the local, state, and national levels.”

“The town hall meetings in April and May are very timely as we approach prom time and graduation” added Commissioner González-Sánchez. We need to take a proactive approach to inform our young people about the serious life threatening dangers of underage drinking.”

More than one fifth of America’s youth take their first drink before age 13. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, thirty-eight percent of high school students in ���������� State reported drinking alcohol within the last 30 days and twenty-two percent of ���������� State high school students (grades 9-12) reported that they engaged in binge drinking in the last 30 days. While the current ���������� State binge drinking rate declined from 29 percent in 1999 to 22 percent in 2011, it is still unacceptably high.

More than 50 OASAS-funded prevention providers, community underage drinking coalitions, other community-based organizations, and the OASAS Prevention Resource Centers, have been invited to host events in communities across ���������� State. Nationwide, about 2,000 communities are expected to participate in this year’s initiative with the theme “Our Town. Our Health. Our Future.”

For more information regarding hosting or attending a Town Hall Meeting visit SAMHSA’s��. Visit the����map, and click on your state or territory or enter your ZIP Code for a listing of meetings near you. If no meetings appear, either expand the distance from your location or click on the state or territory to see its full list.

OASAS oversees one of the nation’s largest addiction services systems with more than 1,600 prevention, treatment and recovery programs. OASAS treatment programs serve approximately 100,000 people on any given day and nearly 240,000 individuals on an annual basis.��

For more information, please visit��.

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