On Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., the Sonoma Valley Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking invites community members to take action to create a safe and healthy environment for the youth of the Sonoma Valley by participating in the parent/community forum on teen drinking taking place in the Sonoma Valley High School Pavilion. Free childcare and translation services will be provided.
“This is an extremely important topic that needs to be approached head-on, so we’re hoping for a great turnout for the forum,” said Danielle Ronshausen, coalition coordinator.
In response to recent events surrounding teen drinking, the organization is facilitating the implementation of research-proven approaches that change the environments where risky alcohol usage occurs. This broad-based approach includes the “Parent and Community Pledge,” which provides specific recommendations to help adults provide structure, limitations and support for teens. Other strategies currently being discussed and reviewed are public policy changes such as a “Social Host Ordinance” that holds adult hosts of teen parties accountable for nuisance behavior resulting from underage drinking on their property. The Coalition also helped the Sonoma Police Department provide “Responsible Beverage Service Training” for alcohol merchants in the month of March, in an effort to reduce sales of alcohol to minors.
Underage drinking has long been an issue for many teens, parents and residents in the Sonoma Valley. Sonoma Valley teens currently have the highest consumption rates out of all groups of teens throughout Sonoma County, as well as high rates of binge drinking. Teen drinking leads to many serious issues including accidents, injuries and alcohol poisoning, sexual assault, learning and behavior problems, and problems with friends, school and work. Teen drinking has a significant impact on brain development and those who consume alcohol at a young age have up to four times higher risk of becoming addicted to alcohol later in life (National Institute of Health).
Local high school students Alicia Armstrong-Sanchez and Jose Lopez will start the forum off with a presentation of underage drinking statistics and an honest youth perspective of what the teen party scene looks like.
Following the youth presentation, there will be a series of short presentations on various topics concerning issues that arise as a result of underage drinking. Youth and family therapist, Dr. Rebecca Bailey, will follow with a presentation on the affects of alcohol use on the developing brain and behavioral consequences that result. Christine Castillo, Executive Director of United Against Sexual Assault of Sonoma County, will discuss how alcohol plays a role in teenage sexual assault and what resources are available for victims. Finally, Chief of Police Bret Sackett of the Sonoma Valley Police Department will touch on underage drinking from a law enforcement perspective.
The forum will be held Tuesday, April 28, at 7 p.m. in the Pavilion at Sonoma Valley High School. For more information on the Coalition or how you can get involved in helping to reduce underage drinking in the Sonoma Valley, please contact Danielle Ronshausen, Coalition Coordinator at 707.996.7991 or dronshausen@socialadvocatesforyouth.org.
