In The News

Substance Abuse Task Force Holds Town Hall Meeting
Originally printed in The Westerly Sun
Monday, May 3, 2010

Tuesday's meeting brings local professionals together with students, parents, law enforcement to discuss substance abuse prevention.

WESTERLY- With support and presentations by Westerly Public Schools educators and administrators, local first-responders and health care professionals, law enforcement officials from the Westerly Police Department as well as students involved in substance abuse prevention and education/awareness, the Westerly Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force presents a 'Town Hall Meeting,' slated for Tuesday, at 7 p.m. in the Town Council chambers.

Town Hall Meetings are part of a national effort to increase understanding and awareness of underage drinking and its consequences, and to encourage individuals, families, and communities to address the problem.

"We firmly believe that we all need to be in this fight together," said Mary Lou Serra, Task Force coordinator. "The Town Hall Meeting concept is a perfect venue for us to come together as a community to talk about underage drinking and substance abuse by our young people and work toward implementing prevention solutions. I urge families to be part of this movement."

These are the facts according to National Institute on Drug Abuse: One in 20 8th graders reported being drunk at least once in the past month.

One out of every seven high school sophomores and 28 percent of all 12th graders admitted being drunk at least once in the last month. And the latter group includes licensed drivers.

"If this doesn't bring people to our Town Hall Meeting, what will," Serra asked rhetorically.

Westerly is one of hundreds of communities nationwide that have or will hold an Underage Drinking Prevention Town Hall Meeting to discuss and raise awareness about the issue of underage drinking. The Westerly Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force, in collaboration with the Federal Government's Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking, is sponsoring the event. Parents, teachers, officials, youth, and other community members will be educated about the impact that underage drinking has on the community, and they will develop possible ways to address this issue. Invited panelists and presenters include (but are not limited to) Westerly Police Chief Edward A. Mello, WPD Lt. Stano Trombino, Westerly Ambulance Corps Commander Dennis Mello, Westerly High School Student Assistance Counselor Jessica Spencer, Westerly High School Principal Paula Fusco, Westerly Public Schools Mentoring Program coordinator Steve Iacoi, and Youth Task Force and Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse members.

For more information about Town Hall Meetings, visit the SAMSHA Town Hall info and FAQ page for more information at www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/townhall.