2nd Annual Town Hall Meeting On Underage Drinking, April 28

April 28, 2009

When: Tuesday, April 28th, 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: Will be broadcast live on local community access cable channel, Channel 9, in Newburyport.

Are you concerned about underage drinking in the Newburyport community?

If you are and you want to learn about the problems and issues associated with underage drinking, make plans to watch, listen and participate in the 2nd Annual Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinkingthat will be broadcast live on Newburyport’s community access television channel, Channel 9 on Comcast Cable, which is operated by PortMedia, Newburyport’s non-profit community access television organization.

This live cable broadcast event which is being organized and presented by the Beacon Coalition in conjunction with Newburyport Youth Services and PortMedia will include an option for vieweers to call in and ask questions to a panel of speakers at PortMedia’s studio on Graf Road, Newburyport.

The Beacon Coalition, which was created as part of Newburyport Youth Services, actively seeks to reduce the usage of alcohol, tobacco and drugs amongst underage individuals. Sarah Hayden is the prevention project director for the Beacon Coalition and the organizer of this event.

“There will be a panel that talks about these issues and what we’re doing about it,” Hayden said. “We’ll be talking about parent and adult surveys, and about the adult perception of underage drinking.”

According to information provided by the Beacon Coalition, 40 percent of Newburyport High School students in 2007 reported drinking in the previous 30 days, compared to 58 percent in 2001. The survey also found that 64 percent of NHS seniors reported drinking regularly in 2007.

This year’s meeting will have a special focus on binge drinking. Of the 64 percent of NHS seniors who reported regular drinking, 75 percent of those admitted to binge drinking.