Parent's Awareness Of Underage/Binge Drinking

A TOWN HALL MEETING

SAN FERNANDO, Calif., May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This evening, Pueblo y Salud, Inc. (PYS) in San Fernando, CA, will conduct a "Parent's Awareness of Underage/Binge Drinking" town hall meeting at Saint Ferdinand's Hall, located at 1040 Coronel St. San Fernando, CA 91340 from 6:00 P.M to 8:00 P.M.

The town hall will educate and alert our community to new research on the risks of underage drinking and work to empower the community to take action to stop it. The Federal Government's Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) is supporting town hall meetings that are taking place in communities across America during the month of May 2012.

"Teenagers are constantly being persuaded to drink by deceptive Big Alcohol marketing practices. Each year teenage consumption of alcohol generates $20 billion in national revenues for Big Alcohol companies, according to a National Research Council & Institute of Medicine report," said Jorge Castillo, Advocacy and Outreach Organizer for Alcohol Justice. "Town hall meetings like the one today can outline the first steps needed to address the dangers of alcohol in our communities. Then by working together we can limit both alcohol advertising and liquor outlet density and in turn provide healthier neighborhoods for our children," added Castillo.

The town hall meeting will educate parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, youth, and other community members about the impact and consequences that underage drinking has on the community.

In terms of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) consumption in our immediate communities of Sylmar and Pacoima we find that Alcohol was most available at parties (71%). The results are based on the surveys conducted by PYS as part of the Los Angeles Public Health Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Alcohol and other Drug Prevention Services Community-Based Needs Assessment.

Research indicates that families exert a great deal of influence on whether a child uses alcohol later in life. "What parents may not realize," says Olivia Chavez, Alcohol Program Director of Pueblo y Salud, Inc. "Is that children say that their parents' disapproval of underage drinking is a key reason they have chosen not to drink."

Surveys also found that underage drinking is prevalent in high school students. Among eighth graders, about 1 in 20 (5.4 percent) reported being drunk at least once in the past month. Nearly 1 out of 7, 10th graders (14.4 percent) and about 2 out of 7, 12th graders (27.6 percent) reported being drunk at least once in the last month.

SAMHSA reports that children and teens are less likely to abuse alcohol if parents are involved in their children's lives, make and enforce clear rules at home, and are positive role models.   

Speakers and Presenters for the evening include:

Councilman Richard Alarcon, Los Angeles CD 7

Yolanda Cordero, SAPC (Los Angeles County Substance Abuse Prevention and Control)

John Whitaker, The Tarzana Treatment Center
"The value of parents' discussing the issue with their children"                                 

Jorge Castillo, Alcohol Justice
"The impact of underage drinking on the Community and the need for Environmental Change"              

Representative from Phoenix House, Lake View Terrace

Olivia Chavez, Pueblo y Salud, Inc.

For more information about Pueblo y Salud, go to:  http://www.pys.org/pys/

Contact: Olivia Chavez
Pueblo y Salud, Inc.
[email protected]
818-837-2272 Day-work
818-800-9873 Cell

Jorge Castillo
Alcohol Justice
[email protected]
213-840-3336

SOURCE Pueblo y Salud, Inc.